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"Deood reasons Just so you’re prepared, she has a way about her"

"What kind of way?" I asked

"Sexy" Satisfaction ghosted across Poe’s face "Like you’ve never seen"

"You’re together?"

"Friends Hallie knohat she wants and how to ask for it How to get it I was fun, and that was it She h she’s basically trapped in that house There was an accident a few years back So now she goes on Chronos jobs, and she dances seriously Otherwise, ivory tower"

"What about school?"

"Online College classes She finished high school at sixteen She’s a genius" Poe grinned "All I can say is good luck"

A sneaky, sexy genius with a target on her back

I’d need all the luck I could get

Chapter 5

Hallie, One Week Later

"I told you, Dad I don’t need a bodyguard"

"As I’ve explained several thousand times, you are a minor You live under my roof You need what I say you need"

"He’s creepy"

"How?"

"He looks at uard, Hallie What’s he supposed to look at? He’s staying I’ this conversation"

I stepped out of Dad’s office, slaer on the unreasonably hot yet still annoying bodyguard "You"--I pointed a finger in his face--"are a complete pain in my ass"

He blinked and looked terrified, which was co I was the one he was supposed to be protecting

"Stay at least ten feet away And stop looking at uards the way insolent children went through nannies It wasn’t that I hated the else to do It usually took et theressively than most, because he was insideI expected today to be his last

He followeddance class, onhis fate I showered and went down to the kitchen in urt, I scraped the bottom of the container for the last bite He watched me walk to the trash can, step on the pedal, and dispose of the plastic

"Oh" I tapped the silver spoon against my bottom lip "Should I recycle?"

The only response was the controlled stare I’d learned to expect

"Okay, then" I dropped my utensil in the sink and left the kitchen