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PROLOGUE

HIS head hurt like ain this dark alley

Why the hell hadn’t she come to the door yet?

He smacked his helmet into the steel three hts ca

But he couldn’t hear anything above the pain screa in his head

He rested his shoulders on the brick building When he put his pal, his fingers ca?

The steel door squeaked and opened only far enough so she could peer out Playing it safe Good girl

"Who’s there?"

"It’shere?"

"I needed to see you"

"At two in the ?"

"Yes Please Let me in" As soon as she opened the door, Ronin stumbled inside and his helmet bounced across the concrete floor

She dove for him when he swayed Soainst the wall She gasped softly "Your face What happened?"

He sed the bile crawling up his throat He dropped to his knees and hissed at the excruciating pain before he plopped onto the floor with a juddering thump

"Ronin?" She crouched beside hi beaten down has been my natural state since you walked out on me"

His response jarred her into silence

So he kept talking "The fightrattled ht?"

"Yeah"

"Can I ask why?"

"Needed to numb the pain" He winced when he tried to shift positions "But then I couldn’t remember"

"What? Why you came here?"

"I cao"

She picked up his hand "You’re bleeding"