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"You included," I snap

"Not ot the whole thing wrong and I screwed Da I’m not the only one"

"Who, then? And what shit?"

He shakes his head "Just tell Stark that he h noise in his throat "I was blohen I learned who Padgett had lined up with an ax to grind against your boyfriend"

I stand very still He’s scaring me more than he probably knows "You won’t tellto I’ve playedout of thisfrom me, I can promise you that"

"Then why did you co Stark It’s a se I shouldn’t have"

"And you think this is going to fix it?"

"No, but I think it’s a start" He meets my eyes "Tell Stark to watch his back"

"I’ll tell hi "But he always does"

18

I a for the paparazzi as I walk toward my car At least then I could be pissed off at theet in er so that I can call Daot to put one in ed at all today, and it’s al I can talk fast, and am relieved when Damien picks up immediately

"I ran into Carl," I say without preamble

"Ran into him?" His voice is low and measured and very, very ominous

"As in he came to Innovative and waited for me in the lobby"

"Are you okay? What did he do?"

"I’m fine," I assure him, because I can hear both the worry and the temper "He wanted me to tell you to watch your back"

"Did he? Tellhe said, exactly how he said it"

I co the conversation in as e

"And he wouldn’t tell you anyabout?"

I holdon in Gerett settles that this could be about, and though I haven’t got a clue, I am certain that Da "I think this is Carl’s way of blowing smoke"

"Why would he do that?" I ask

"You said he wants to rebuild burned bridges What better way to do that than to warn er?"

"Because there’s always so up the direction of his thoughts

"An angry competitor A fired e and tells uard, and when I next notice some nefarious deed, I will think, oh, isn’t it lucky that Carl warned h, because Carl is a little prick and nothing is going to change that But the laughter doesn’t erase my worry "So you’re really not worried?"