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"I’ this back door," he yelled out from the kitchen "And I want you to lock the front one after I leave"

As he returned to the living rooot up again "Absolutely"

"And call un is under that sofa cushion, right there Loaded and the safety’s off"

"I’ tio? You’re going to miss the bus--and yes," she drawled, "I’ll be naked when you corowl "Okay, there’s an incentive"

A quick kiss and he was out the door--and yelling, "Lock up! Or I’ the dead bolt "Locked! Go!"

Elise went back and sat before the fire, tucking her legs up tight and linking her arht about Troy and howthat se when she’d told him that as much as she liked him, she had just started to see so between the that it was probably for the best, given their professional association

So all was good there

And Axe was going to get her back and forth to the classes safely She was even excited to have hie, whistling through the shutters andthe eaves moan When another hit, she turned around and looked behind her She felt like she was being watched, but … no

There was no one around

As a third battering gust of wind howled, she could swear she felt the chill inside Butbetween the actual violence she had witnessed the night before in that alley … and the representations of violence she had seen at Allishon’s

Even with her coat on, she got cold

Axe had stoked the fire perfectly, though, and at least the front of her ar up, she went over to the chair by the front door There was a nice heavy throw draped over the back, and as she picked it up, it smelled like Axe’s body Perfect

Halfway on the return trip to the fire, so dropped out of its folds, and she bent down to--

At first, Elise couldn’t believe what she was looking at

Sothe object up, she knelt down next to it

A piece of metal Painted black In an odd shape that was kind of like a key, but not really