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“Everything okay?” she asked

The conversation between hi heads, and clenched jaws

“You worried about me, sweetheart?”

“What? No Of course not Justconversation”

Zach laughed, and Shell snorted “As otta run,” she said

“What?” Toni asked “You just got here” She’d been looking forward to spending more time with Shell

“I know But I had to work iveout soon, okay?”

Toni nodded and accepted a kiss on the cheek fro her way toward the parking lot

“She works too da Copper He needs to pull his head out of his ass and start so up with that woman Then she wouldn’t have to work herself to exhaustion”

Toni searched the crowd until she found the Handlers’ president Not surprisingly, his focus was one hundred percent on Shell as she walked out of the party Toni couldn’t decipher the expression on his face, but whatever his thoughts, they were deep He looked tor with every fiber of his being but kneould never be his

“Wanna head inside? It’s getting chilly out here” Zach unwound his ar her toward the clubhouse before she’d answered

The night air ht have been cold, but be it the alcohol, the warmth of the fire, or heat from the man beside her, Toni wasn’t chilled in the least The ainst her, the hotter she grew If soht just combust

“Let ,” she said to distract both of the need “How come you don’t have a nickname?”

“Huh?” Zach stopped walking and faced her, still holding her hand

“Yeah, you know…Maverick, Viper, Rocket, Jigsaw Those clearly are nicknames And you’re just called Zach”