Page 95 (1/1)

Lips parted, Peri cautiously stretched across the backseat of the car to pick them up "If you have any doubts, tell oing to let this go," he said, clearly concerned as his grip tightened on the wheel "Where she goes, I go"

So his drive to do what’s right isn’t entirely his own, she thought, then started when she figured it out "Taf’s the student you were tutoring when you met Silas, wasn’t she?"

"Yes,wistful

"Do you love her?" she asked, needing to know before she put either of them in harm’s way, and his smile faded

"I’m afraid to, but yes I just don’t want to be thethey were far enough out, Peri put on her gloves "You aren’t," she said, leaning over the seat to give him a kiss on the cheek "Why don’t you drop me here?"

The car’s brakes squeaked as he stopped, and Hoas sot out "See you about three thirty," he said, and she gave him a little wave and walked away Howard pulled up to the stop sign ahead of her, turned, and was gone

Head down, she started for her apart to happen to either of theht when Peri stood at the darkof the e on Chinese take-out as she half-listened to Howard and Taf talking in the master suite True to Howard’s prediction, Taf had showed up, and she envied their banter as they ate their rice and fried meat It was obvious that Taf had come back more for Howard than for her Peri had to keep theents were positioned had been successful, and she’d easily spotted the expected three teale forents andering the halls as security guards, a third probably in her apartent at the concierge’s desk made four on-site, and there were two in the van at the curb

It was Howard’s opinion that everyone ired, which could work for them, with a little effort, especially since Howard had located Opti’s off-site observatory post three stories up fro cold Chinese food fro the black Opti van almost beneath her feet at the curb, she decided it orth the risk to try to take out the rand place to leave Howard--relatively safe and out of the way

It’s a nice aparth the vegetables to get to so other than tiny corn and broccoli Open floor plan, nice fixtures But reen spaces, all connected by the visually pleasing, raised netic rail This no-view suite was probably hard to keep rented

Jack was sitting on the floor beside the ceiling-to-floor , his back against the wall and his legs stretched out, eyes closed as if waiting for a task to begin She was getting accustoain, she was going to s her advice in her lordly tone, her hair perfect and her fingers playing with her jewelry, ht have been preferable to a sexy man in a Dolce & Gabbana suit who had betrayed not only her, but her love for hih it, an unexpected pang running through her She and her mother hadn’t been on the best of terms when she’d left It was sort of too late to fix, but maybe she could find closure for herself God help ht, and Jack opened his eyes and stretched

Leaning to look down the front of the building, Peri watched two suits leave, theinto their black car and driving off, headlights shining They weren’t the sae, perhaps?

"Howard?" Peri called softly, and she heard hirunt In half ahis dreadlocks andslow, stiff from the floor

"Is it time?" he asked

"Yes" Her pulse quickened, and she set the take-out box down to shake her hands out "I’d rather do this at four in theas we stay out of the square, we’ll be clear of people"

Yawning, Taf came out from the back room, her hair mussed "You sure?"

"Absolutely" Peri did a double take, realizing only now that Taf’s butterfly tattoo glowed in the dark Taking the felt pen she’d been using to sketch the apartment, she stuck it in her boot sheath next to that awful caht drily "This is a quiet neighborhood where gunshots areThat’s why I wanted to live here" Even before Jack, she thought, then started when she realized Jack was eating froetables with chopsticks fro now, and he was dressed in task black, looking good enough to pin to the floor

Unhappy, Peri ran a hand across her jeans The lack of her usual polish bothered her An untidy thief was loell-dressed one was classy, ending up in the chief’s office instead of the local lockup with hookers and sullen shoplifters