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"Thank you, Howard You say the sweetest things!" Taf purred, bounding up to give hi his paper as Howard blushed, his dark skin taking on a pinkish hue

"Speaking of shooting people, I need to pick up some more shells" Taf reached for her coat "Do we have time to stop?"

"Sure, I don’t see why not"

"Ah … you aren’t carrying a gun tonight," Peri started when Taf picked up her purse

"Excuse ainst the table Suddenly Peri felt like they were the parents of two hooligans eager for a night of chaos and gunpowder

"We’ll bring back pizza," Howard said as he pushed Taf to the door

"I’m sick of pizza," Taf complained "I want Cantonese"

"Fine Whatever," he said "Let’s get out of here before they think of a reason for us not to go" And then the door shut and Taf’s voice filled the stairway as they creaked downstairs

Peri glanced at Silas, pretty sure Howard and Taf hadn’t left for circuits and shells They hadn’t even set up an alternatewithmistakes "I don’t like them out on their own," she said, to fill the new silence

"Me either" Silas shook his paper again He’d taken time to shave and shower in the tiny bathroo, and his thick short hair was sticking straight up, an unruly, char mess without product Peri couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like on her fingertips Silk, h her, and, disconcerted, she put her attention fir to be easy," sheto have to fight my way in, or out, or both We should have left the," he said flatly from behind his paper

"Actually, I do, but I need an anchor," she said "I’ll keep you alive Promise"

"Maybe I don’t want that assurance"

Peri squinted at the paper between the to figure this out Someone he’d loved had died to save hiht as she laid the scarf out and tried to find a pattern in the stripes, but a growing ire at Silas was percolating through her "I need you, Silas, but you’re not a piece of firle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>