Page 40 (1/2)

Sprinting to unlock the door--I always lock it when the safe is open--I meet Nate’s ashen face, his eyes wide, as he stares down at the ground, et here It all just happened so fast"

I follow his gaze

And I stop breathing

Penny’s cruaping gash along the back of her head, the blood flow darkening her blond hair

The blood trail starting five feet down the hall tells ed to pull herself a fair distance And the way her hand lays, stretched out towardthe bottoes of blood around my handle

I can’t keep my hands off of her

The second I saw Charlie’s face--her eyes shut tightly against the co blow froain

"Cain, are you all right?" Charlie’s voice bringsto reht here, in front of rip her ared breath

I just kissed her

I needed to do it I needed to be close to her, to feel her heat, her life, against me And now, as I focus on that beautiful face so close touarded apprehension, I’ain

No Not in a fking VIP roootten off for a norit e but I know that if I remain this close, h that I can get a good look at her face, rasp "Where are you hurt?"

"Just my cheek" A tiny scowl flashes over her face, as if re the pain, "and irl"

I slip h her silky hair that is not matted in blood because she’s not Penny, I rely

She closes her eyes as her lips fall apart, clearly enjoying the attention, and I yet again fight the urge to bend down and kiss that wideabout her nonstop, telling myself a thousand different ways that this can’t happen

It almost doesn’t seem real

"Better?"