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“No No one has seen much of him, but Benny’s been around wayfierce Better keep her close, Bax They figure out she can be used to draw Race out, they’ll take her”

I shivered and leaned closer to Bax’s side I didn’t like that Chuck was talking abouteven less I didn’t want to be a pawn in soame

Bax tucked me into the curve of his body and tilted his chin up

“I think that’s why Race waited until I was out to go ghost I think he knew they would have to get through me to take her, and that buys hi Benny can fk off and I welco to come anywhere near her I would love to have one more reason to break his neck”

He was always so violent It should disgust me, make me want to run the other way It didn’t It made me feel like Benny and even the mysterious Novak would leavewith hi the kind of life I had no choice but to live

Bax seemed more keyed up than normal He didn’t have the hood of his sweatshirt up around his face and his eyes kept bouncing around the room and then back to me The place didn’t look so ht as it did a trashy casino There were tables and dealers, and the girls who typically danced on the stage alking around in itty-bitty outfits, handing out drinks and sitting on the laps of old ars filled ainst his side and he bent down so that his lips were practically touching ray polo shirt?”

I scanned the crowd They all looked like bankers and golfers, guys ere out cheating on their wives I pinpointed the guy Bax was asking about and gave nize hiuy confusedon when the olderat hiround under my feet slipped away I had never seen him before, didn’t know hi when I got up He looked a lot like Race and clearly he here er

“Lord Hartriht of who I ith I stiffened up and went to pull away frohtened on my spine and his dark eyes pinned me in place

“Don’t”

“What do you ith hiether?”

I wason between us to beto let ht

“Stop He’s the one Race was asking about Somehow he’s tied into Race’s disappearance and my trip to the joint I wanted hione, someone has your back”

“Why?”