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Gone

Instead there was the whirr and snick of cicadas hiding in leaves so dense, so green they looked black An orange cat curled around his boots and the sun beat down on his head

Numb So numb to all that used to be

Savannah stood behind him He could feel her like a shadow over his face on a hot day A mystery A cool-eyed, blond-haired mystery

That was it That was all his world consisted of right now

Because outside of this, this moment, this place, this ht the perimeter for the chance to attack

Point-seven seconds was all it took for a building to co o crazy if he thought about it long enough

And Matt had been thinking about it for six months, teeks and three days

“Well,” Savannah said “It sounds like Margot and I are lucky you andering through”

“Do I have the job?” he asked, his voice rough even to his own ears

He felt her at his shoulder and he turned, surprised to see her so close She had a spray of freckles across her nose And her eyes weren’t totally blue They were like the Caribbean before a stor underneath

“Yes,” she said and stepped closer Close enough that he could smell her skin, flowers and sweat, so earthy and fehts of her naked on silk sheets “But you stay out of our house You stay out of our business There’s a hotel in town You can stay there You arrive at eight and you leave at five You can use the bathroom on the main floor and that’s it No exceptions”

He rocked back, stunned at the vehemence

She’s hiding so it was the truth because he could taste it on her breath

“Got it?” she asked

He nodded “Got it”

“Starting to a vacation week, so I’ll be here”