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He didn’t have a sense of hue Eliza knew, but Dane was closer to Lizzie than to the others She made him feel at ease, comfortable She didn’t have a chip on her shoulder because she was a woet involved in pissing h Caleb and Beau ran the operation But then no one argued with Dane Ever Not even Caleb, and he could be one cold, ruthless, mean-as-a-rattlesnake son of a bitch Especially when it caood reason Her psychic abilities et for everyone who had aor kidnapped loved one Ramie had eerily accurate abilities to track and find victi to them--and the killer It was a sickness that pervaded her soul, made her feel foul and unclean and every time she did it, it took another piece of her with it and Caleb was determined there would be no lad RaoneHell, Ari and Gracie had said to hell with theive back to a woain for them Without theht balls and he had to control the betraying quiver of his nostrils at the thought of just how close they’d co someone so irin or her shared co to include Zack, whichdeparture whether thewas declared officially over or not

Zack sent a look in Dane’s direction Though it was more of a scowl, Dane could see it for what it really was A plea Because once Dane declared aover, it just was It didn’t matter if the Devereauxs had more to add Everyone deferred to Dane And as Zack had only just returned fro with iet back to her

Dane allowed a sive away on his otherwise deadpan poker face, but Zack got the , "Thank you God" behind the backs of the others

But Eliza, damn her hide, who’d been clued in fro fit, covering her laughter, so it soundedto hack up a fur ball and cupped a hand over her ht in her throat

His glare proue at him and the deep intuitive alar relaxed and settled And his internal alar alar when it came to Eliza Zack too had uncanny knacks or hunches as his teaut had ained so ut said so was off, the mission was i rong and it had everything to do with Eliza But in that oneless froot to the ! He hadn’t realized just how fucking terrified he’d been over Eliza’s weird behavior earlier He had the odd sensation of her thinning in front of hi fro away from him like sand in a breeze DSS would never be the same without Eliza and he had a lot of people to thank for the fact she was alive, healthy and still very much part of DSS

But it was Wade Sterling he wasEliza was rescued and safe He’d taken a bullet for her that would have killed her in seconds She didn’t know that How close she came to death or the fact that if Wade hadn’t stepped in front of her she would have died Or e the other onism between Eliza and Wade and Dane kneas because Wade was still fir ourselves for the last fifteenhi for Dane’s intervention and was about two seconds frout still nagged hiht with Eliza He wanted this shit done now so he and Eliza could talk about what the fuck was on her mind--and had been on her htly annoyed but Beau flashed hiathered--Isaac, Capshaw, Eric and Brent The new recruits hadn’t endured theobvious with their gratitude

"Everyone has a job to do," Dane continued "Though one of us is still on his honeyed out of a warm bed next to an equally warm but much softer woman just to hear us spout the same shit we spout every month in these state of the union addresses" He directed his gaze toward Beau and Zack, which would likely annoy Caleb, but Caleb had backed off while Beau and Zack were very s "You two take the new recruits, show theo over our current caseload, divide thehter over the first of Dane’s remarks died and a more serious mood quickly replaced the a sot even And then he proceeded to throw her under the bus Precisely what she would do given the opportunity

"You can thank Lizzie for the na tone that surprised some, while others snickered--those who understood Dane better and were privy to the unique relationship he and Eliza shared

"I’h," Dane said in a solemn voice that would have worked were it not for the sarcas like syrup fro and already plotting her revenge on Dane Some days it was the only entertain toward Dane’s office with leaden feet, her heart heavy because she kne much she’d miss this The caether Like one mind, a well-oiled machine where everyone was so familiar with their co-operatives that they could predict their next movement before it was made