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The wo off her hat and gloves, she handed theht and color in her cheeks thatelse, orn, and Peri looked for a whip, thinking it wouldn’t be out of place "Your text was nebulous, to say the least You’d better have a good explanation This isn’t a good ti hands with her, but the woman never took her eyes off Peri

Taf had shifted tocloser to Peri than to her mother "Mother, this is Peri Reed," she said formally, a stilted smile in place, and Peri shifted her coat to stick her hand out "Peri, this isher security forward

"Hey!" Peri exclaimed when one took her hat and coat, and the other patted her down

"Seriously?" Taf co her here if she wasn’t clean"

"Mistakes happen" Sculpted eyebrows high, Fran waved off the guard when he showed her the jackknife she’d taken from that beat two-door car she’d hot-wired

"Peri is clean," Howard gruuys dropped back "It’s what I do"

"Good, then" Fran stood before Peri, her sharp attentionPeri stiffen So she was dirty and sht "I understand you have so for us?" Fran pro the beads in his dreadlocks clink

"Ah, actually …," he hedged, "we don’t quite have it yet That’s e’re here"

Fran turned to hi about Taf, too, looked out of the loop "It what?" Peri asked, feeling ignored

Fran leaned toward Howard, her expression twisting up in irritation "Howard," she said softly "What is she doing here if she doesn’t have e need to close Opti down?"

Oh, that it, Peri thought "Mrs Jacquard, Opti has Silas Denier He works for you, yes?"

Fran’s attention shifted "And you do not," Fran said as Howard exhaled in relief

Peri’s eyes slitted Pulse fast, she scanned the area for a fast way out The horse had been led away, and the nearby golf cartsThey couldn’t outrun bullets, though Co here suddenly felt like a mistake, but she’d never left ato start now--even if it was Silas