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Cartel She was involved with a cartel Julie sat back "I’ot in the middle of this I’ve always tried to stay out of the way of trouble"

"More iet you out of it," he said "And the best way to do that is to get o as your date," he said "You introduce me and I’ll pull hi on or what I have going on Then, I’ll et those elusive pieces of art their hearts desire, for a price"

She felt outright sick now "You’re going to put yourself in the center of a cartel to get h to kno they operated They were protectors So much so that she wondered if that wasn’t as really drawing Luke to her now Maybe this was sex, and soiven her the ‘we’ll stay friends no matter what’ lecture And with any other man, she would have said, ‘perfect’ A sexy affair and no strings, no e hurtShe sed hard

"Julie," Luke said, drawing her gaze from where it had settled on her slice of pizza

She nodded "Yes?"

"I’ you out of this, yes, and I won’t pretend that isn’t a hugehappen to you"

"I know," she said, her throat threatening to close God, as she? Nothing used to rattle her Nothing butLuke

His eyes narrowed "What does that lad you’re involved," she said, and she ht break her heart in the end, but she’d be alive to feel the pain That beat dead any day of the week "You said cartel Are we talking drugs? Weapons?"

"Yes to both, but the part of this equation thatillegal drugs, and targeting teens, those drugs are tainted"

"I’ve seen a fes pieces on teens dying," she said "This cartel is responsible?"

"The drugs are tainted"

Julie drew in a breath that rasped through her lungs like acid Kids were her soft spot They always had been Kids anted to believe in the adults around them, and often did so with trust that wasn’t deserved "Then consider me in for the count Whatever I have to do, I’ll do it without hesitation"

"You just have to getlove" He glanced at her pizza "And eat" The strong line of his always sexy th to practice that role later"

At that ood, and maybe she’d even let herself play the role of the blind, sotten her through a lot in life In fact,so ht be just what I need," she said, leaning forward and picking up her pizza, and glancing at his "But I suggest you eat, too I’ to be easy on you"

They finished up their pizza, and stepped into the chilly night air, walking back toward her building where Luke had parted, and a chill slid down Julie’s spine that had nothing to do with the temperature Suddenly, she was hly populated during the day, was al tooher under his strong ar her "Nice to walk these streets when you aren’t getting pushed and shoved, now isn’t it?"

She slid her ar the feel of his hard body, his strength, next to hers "Tonight, I think a crowd and soive a false sense of security," he said "You never knohat’s hiding in a crowd"

"If you were a doctor you’d have a horrible bedside ood with your cut," he reminded her, and boy did he She barely re?"

She lifted her band-aid "Other than the really lousy style statement, better"

"Maybe we should stick to takeout," he said "No cleanup" He e was full I had to snag aand it gets busy on Mondays," she said "I should have told you to park in my spot that I never use" The hair on the nape of her neck stood up, and she could feel the slight, barely there stiffening of Luke’s spine beneath her paled, tightened He lifted a hand to indicate the truck "There we are" He clicked the locks open as they approached, and she are of the full paid-parking area they were passing, that sense of so her want to run And her iination was exactly why she didn’t watch scary movies

Luke opened the door for her and helped her inside, his voice low as he handed her his phone "Blake’s on speed dial Tell him we have an unwelcome visitor and keep him on the line" He started to hand her the keys "Don’t turn anything on In fact, don’t touch anything Just call Blake after you lock the doors" He shut the door