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Hatch sat up Unable to breathe Heart ha as if he had to run away froasped for breath, not sure where to run to find shelter, safety
They had fallen asleep with a bedside laht while they h lit for hile of covers
She was so still, he thought she was dead He had the crazy feeling that he’d killed her With a switchblade
Then she stirred and mumbled in her sleep
He shuddered He looked at his hands They were shaking
Vassago was so enamored of his artistic vision that he had the iht there, in the bar, with everyone watching He restrained hi another s of beer
He said, "Out of what--life?"
"Out of me"
"What do you think?"
"A few thrills," she said
"More than that"
"Home and faht away He wanted time to think This one was not easy to play, a different sort of fish He did not want to risk saying the wrong thing and letting her slip the hook He got another beer, drank soe They were going to play during the other ain More iy level of the club would rise, and it y level between hiestion that they leave together
He finally answered her question, told her a lie about what he wanted to do with her: "You know anybody you as dead?"
"Who doesn’t?"
"Who is it?"
"Half the people I’ve ever an to realize what he was suggesting She took another sip of beer and lingered with her ainst the ri?"
"Only if you want it to be, Miss"
"You’re weird"
"Isn’t that what you like?"
"Maybe you’re a cop"
"You really think so?"
She stared intently at his sunglasses, though she wouldn’t have been able to see estion of his eyes beyond the heavily tinted lenses "No Not a cop"
"Sex isn’t a good way to start," he said
"It isn’t, huh?"
"Death is a better opener Make a little death together, then et"
She said nothing
The backup band was picking up the instrue
He said, "This one in particular you’d like dead--it’s a guy?"
"Yeah"
"He live within driving distance?"
"Twenty minutes froan to tune up, though it see the type of ht stuff, and they had better be good at it, because it was the kind of club where the customers wouldn’t hesitate to trash the band if they didn’t like it
At last the blonde said, "I’ve got a little PCP Want to do soot a car?"
"Let’s go"
On the way out he opened the door for her
She laughed "You’re one weird son of a bitch"
According to the digital clock on the nightstand, it was 1:28 in the h Hatch had been asleep only a couple of hours, he ide awake and unwilling to lie down again
Besides, hissand He needed a drink
The towel-draped laht for him to make his way to the dresser and quietly open the correct draithout waking Lindsey Shivering, he took a sweatshirt fro only pajama bottoms, but he knew that the addition of a thin pajama top would not quell his chills
He opened the bedroolanced back at his sluht, dark hair against the white pillow, her face relaxed, lips slightly parted, one hand tucked under her chin The sight of her, ht about the years they had lost in their surrender to grief, and the residual fear froret He pulled the door shut soundlessly behind hiht rose along the stairwell from the foyer below On their way froh bed, they had not paused to switch off laers He sht
On his way down the stairs, he rehtmare, and his smile slipped away
The blonde The knife The eye