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Done with the nonsense, Margo said, "I’ Dash, "I can e on my own"

"Would you like er knehat she wanted, so she siain before she could stop hi the way, Dash had Rowdy and Avery in the kitchen before the enormity of his familiarity really hit her

Why didn’t he just beat his chest and brand her? Eyes narrowed, sto o exited the room

But da the kitchen and she had no idea what Dashflannel--she really did need to find so things one-handed took forever

She slowed down long enough to clean her teeth and wash her face, but one look at her hair and she knew that was a lost cause She finger-co would hide the bruises anyway

Hoas it that Dash looked ht of chaos and she just looked a wreck? Unfair

Barefoot, furious about the possibility of gossip, she rushed back into the kitchen

They were all seated at the table and Dash, with Oliver in his lap, regaled the the debacle Oliver didn’t look the least bit upset by the co purr

No one seemed to notice her

Dash said, "She didn’t let on that her elboas dislocated until after it was safe"

"Wow," Avery said "I knew she was tough, but that’s a"

Rowdy sipped his coffee and kept silent

Dash continued to stroke Oliver’s back while talking Though he sounded grilad it wasn’t her right arm Not that I think that would have slowed her down, either Even injured, she’s deadly when she has a target"

Margo’s face heated What she’d done wasn’t all that extraordinary She was a lieutenant, trained to act, and so she had

"Logan and Reese have nothing but good things to say about her," Avery added "They trust her coht decision, but to back them up when necessary I think it’s awesoive reed, "but Margo has thehnut into his coffee and o is embarrassed by the praise"

Avery and Dash both twisted in their seats--and chagrin showed in their expressions

Dash pushed back his chair and stood, the cat held close to his chest "Rowdy and Avery brought us coffee" He searched her face "I already fixed a cup for you"

Oliver’s continuing purrs overrode the aard silence

Rowdy turned his head and looked at her "The right focus can s settle down, the pain settles in, and it sucks"

Because Roould know that firsthand, Margo just tipped her head in a nod

"I’htfully, "that likeand that helped to put the injury on hold"

"You guess right" Sure, the pain had been there, but overriding it was the fury that she’d been attacked, and even er "Luckily, Dash wasn’t a slouch"

"You thought he was?"

Dash said, "Coued with a frown "He understands the risks Hell, we’ve both seen hio didn’t want to think about the ti her to a bed with Reese while another goon aian had been notified and he and Dash had taken control of the situation They’d all escaped unscathed "Dash wasn’t in the thick of that"

"He’d disabled a goon out front"

Avery chi, "Since he works construction he’s pretty fit I can’t io rubbed her temple "He’s a civilian We were pinned down in an alley and people tried to shoot us"

Dash sat forward "It was you they wanted dead I was just in the way"

She ignored Dash and said to Rowdy, "I assuly, she ade part due to hirin and shook his head "If you two are done with the estion"

Already knohat he’d say, Margo shook her head "No"

"It wouldn’t take s for you"

She should have known he hadn’t made the visit just to drop off food "No"

"I could ask o came forward in a rush, her scowl fierce "Do not involve yourself" Not in that way It was bad enough that Dash was now likely a target She didn’t want Rowdy in danger, too "I can handle it"

Dash held out a chair In contrast to her tone, he sounded like calmness personified when he said, "Come sit down Drink some coffee"

He said it more like a request than an order, and she needed that coffee, so she agreed Her splint clunked on the tabletop, reed "Perfect Thank you"