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Storee lived with Jai teo when they first s about hianized and tidy and he didn’t have a lot of stuff

Ari, on the other hand, liked to nest, so she’d bought a lot for the house using her Guild Hunter radually filled what had been a fairly irly knickknacks--cushions, candles, ornaments, vases …

They didn’t share a bathroom so she hadn’t been introduced to the intimacy of that, but she had on occasion watched hi like a soldier, that his bedroos--clothes and books--that he ate well--protein shakes, fruit, nuts, oatrilled chicken, fish--and that he rolled his eyes every tierator--pizza, burgers, pudding, diet soda She kneorked out every day for two hours and if he worked out longer than that, so out of him; other times he just pulled her onto the sofa and switched on a s she knew and yet she still felt like she didn’t really know hiht of talking about it scared the hell out of her because she was so terrified he was going to tell her this had all been a huge ot

out of the shower and wrapped in a towel When she stepped out into her rooreeted her knocked the wind right out of her

"Looking good, Ari" Charlie

grinned at her frorin ide but not wide enough to reach his eyes "Nice towel"

Once Ari had picked up her jaw froic in the air seconds before the toas gone and replaced by jeans and a T-shirt He felt a flicker of annoyance that she’d cover up around him--as if she wasn’t safe fro? Of course she wasn’t safe from him

With less difficulty than before,

Charlie ed to keep his expression blank as Ari took a step toward hi his name He felt the familiar ache in his chest whenever he was around her Would it kill her to stop being so beautiful and caring just long enough for hih this? He didn’t want her to care Fallon had died caring about hi the fury build in his blood, Charlie dropped his gaze, trying to control the rage

What happened to Fallon was not happening to Ari

The plan had been to stay low, to figure out what his next itive and had a chunk of Mount Qaf emerald in his possession There were options After he’d killed the Labartu, he’d gone sos about Ari After a week of hiding out, he’d begun to feel a little norht The e it up He was, however, intent on giving up Ari He harbored soainst her, resentet the best of him Thus, all the options he’d drawn up … well, not one of theain

But then the Ghulah found hi here?"

Ari asked in a low, panicked voice

He sighed as though bored, as if being in the sa a pair of her panties lying on the floor didn’t do a number on him Just because he resented her, didn’t mean he wasn’t still attracted to her

It was quite the pickle

"I’ve been approached by a Ghulah

Apparently you and Jai attacked her in Roswell"

Ari blanched, nodding slowly

"Rerinned, "she’s pretty pissed at you for that And guess what? She knows you’re no longer the Seal and that you have no power over her She wants row ashen Part of hi like an ant beneath his thu ht be up for a little preemptive attack"

"Charlie, I--"

"Relax, Ari If I thought you

wanted to killher suspicion, Charlie had to teain, would she?

"Why are you here?"

He slid off the bed and stood, standing a few inches taller than her "To bargain with you I’ll help you take care of the Ghulah if you’ll keep the Guild off my back"

"How?"

She hadn’t irowl Godda about him!

And yet … he needed her to care if his plan was to work out It was such a ot ive e, we’ll take the Ghulah down together"

She was clearly worried about his plan and his intention for her to betray people she’d grown to care about "I don’t need help taking down a Ghulah I’m not worried"

Charlie felt a shot of triuer news "You should be She’s packing soant way Ari curled her lip was incredibly hot She’d gotten more confident in the last few ood look on her "I can take down a Ghulah carrying a Talis a

Talis Pazuzu"

Ari thought nothing could be as horrifying as looking at her best friend and discovering that he was really gone The warone His cheeky sone

It was replaced by blank indifference and a chilling grin He was gone