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"Stop, you assle!"
Oh, as she kidding? She was never going to catch this guy He enty feet fro to the woods She was at least fifty and her lungs were burning
But then, as he neared the corner, a figure stepped out of the shadoay and knocked hiround Flat on his back She could hear hi Fists was getting a kiss for this
With tongue
But then her savior pulled out a gun He pointed it at the thief and cocked the hammer
Quinn skidded to a stop "Holy shit"
A step forward brought the gunht Short blond hair, fierce expression Tyler
The guy on the ground was scra iPod! You’re--"
"Shut up" Tyler held a lit cigarette in his free hand He put it to his lips and inhaled, but he didn’t lower the weapon "Give it back to her"
The thief--thin and filthy and not much older than she was--
shoved her iPod across the concrete He’d probably scraped the crap out of the case
She didn’t un Her breathing felt too quick
She should be running now, right? Saying thank you? What the hell was happening here?
Tyler jerked his head toward the road "Get out of here, punk" When the thief didn’t ht for his footing and ran, his feet scraping pavement
Quinn kind of wished she could swipe the iPod and tiptoe away
Tyler slid the gun into a holster at the sarette "You going to take that or what?"
Her iPod was on the ground right in front of his boots, and Quinn really didn’t want to get that close She re pain of his pal her that Tyler had roughed up Becca
Then again, Becca sure hadn’t thought he was scary enough to warrant telling Quinn about it
"Come on," said Tyler, a dark smile on his lips "If you don’t have music, I can’t enjoy the free show anymore"
"What does that mean?"
His eyes flicked at the woods across the street
Screw hi "Go to hell"
"I think maybe a thank-you is in order"
"I think maybe a fk you is in--"
"Would you take the stupid iPod?"
She whirled, hearing hiht behind her He was closer than she was ready for, and her breath rushed out of her chest
In his hand was her beat-up iPod
She hesitated, then took it She wanted to fling it at him, but pride wilted in the face of practicality It would take her forever to gather enough et another one The case was scratched but unbroken, and the screen lit up when she pressed the button
He didn’t move back, and she finally had to, lest he think she liked being this close to hilow lit his cheeks and turned his eyes haunting "Scared of ?"
He laughed, blowing sh his nose "Where’s your boyfriend?"
"None of your business Have another cigarette?"
His eyebroent up "You want one?"
No She didn’t She’d only ever s else to do and she needed so
She gave Tyler a look "Yeah You have one or not?"
He pulled a pack frohter?"
"No Don’t you?"
He gave her half a sarette to his lips He inhaled slowly, and after a lowed red and burned A fresh burst of nicotine hit the air Then he pulled it out of his mouth and held it out to her
Quinn stared despite herself "Gross"
And soun to her head before ad next to a Duht, and now you’re afraid of a little spit Jesus You want it or not?"
His voice was full of derision, but challenge, too Scared of arette out of his hand and put it to her lips
For a second she orried she’d do the , but she inhaled slowly, letting the wars She expected it to taste nasty, but it didn’t
"Why are you out here with a gun?" she asked, easing the suely affronted "I have a perainst some law"
"This strip mall is yours Seriously And you have all thislots pointing guns at petty thieves? Yeah, okay"
"This stripinhale on his cigarette Sht sky "And we’ve been having a problehts"
"Gee, I’ot a chip on your shoulder, huh?"
Yeah, the size of Rhode Island Quinn flicked ash froarette and didn’t respond She hadn’t inhaled again, and it was just burning away between her fingers
"What were you dancing to?" he asked
The question took her by surprise, but his voice was challenging again, so she fired up the song on her iPod and held out an earbud
He listened for a long moment, then nodded and handed the cord back "Nice"
This was so bizarre "Glad itin the woods?"