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"I'm happy he's dead," Molly confessed "Does that make me a bad person?"

"If it does, then we're both bad," Sonia said "Kai was supposed to be right behind us, Molly I wouldn't ever have exposed you to danger I wasn't trying to get away fro, Gray told hi When they both started back toward the house where Gray thought the recorder was, Blake's men opened fire on them"

"Are you bla yourself for what happened?" Molly's face paled "You saved me If you hadn't stopped by to see those wormholes for me, Blake would have taken otten away"

"Yes, you would have," Sonia said "I would have gone looking for you I would have known it was Garritson who took you and I would have found a way to get you back Joshua would have helped" She smirked deliberately "That is his forte This time, instead of a bad boy, I chose sooing to think about how he o after a Russian ht and get through this one without any more drama

"You're such a good friend" Molly had tears in her eyes "Bastien wantedto stay here and take care of you instead"

"That's not necessary, Molly I'o to sleep for a little while I want you to go home with Bastien I know you'll be safe with him The fact that he declared in front of his partners that you were his girlfriend "

"It means he's crazy," Molly said, but her face flushed and her eyes went bright "He had to say so s were uploaded to a site for Blake to see Bastien was very upset about that on my behalf I think he just felt really bad and wanted to do so nice for me"

Sonia rolled her eyes "Seriously? That doesn't evenhe didn't knoas going on and you know it Stop being a chicken You were the one telling me to take a chance on Joshua"

"Wow And again, I have to say it: Joshua is hotter than hell, Sonia Of course you have to take a chance on him No shirt? Barefoot? He runs across the swamp or whatever he did to come to your aid because you texted him? How cool is that?"

"And there you go, changing the subject Although I wouldn'tabout the no-shirt part for hours, because I have lots to say on the subject, ere discussing Bastien I have a lot to say about him as well"

"You do?" Molly's voice had a little squeak in it

"He ran right past a dead body to get to you, Molly He didn't look atarm He just demanded to knohere you were and ran for the stairs to see for hiiven the fact that he's considered a really good detective, that is saying a lot"

A small smile lit Molly's face "He did, didn't he? That's sort of sweet"

"Sort of? The ot all about it in order tomore than 'sweet,'" Sonia said decisively

Molly's s ho tiet afraid very easily What if I freak out on him because the wind rattles the ?"

"I guess he'll have to hold you even tighter than I expect he already will be doing" She reached for the pills Joshua had left on the end table The aspirin would help, hopefully, with the pain She sent a wry s shot It hurts like hell and it isn't more than a flesh wound"

"I overheard Bastien telling someone that you were lucky and that the bullet took off a chunk of skin He said you ht have a scar there"

Sonia frowned, giving her friend her best stern look "You are not responsible in any way Blake's responsible He was an obsessed stalker" Her frown deepened "I wonder if I can be considered a stalker I think I'm a little obsessed with Joshua At least with his cock" She peeked at Molly froh "His abs too I think about all that muscle a lot And I like his hair His eyes are way cool, and his mouth Wow, hiswith his tongue"

"Sonia, stop" Molly's laughter was genuine She sank onto the end of the bed "You are so wrong"

"His tongue is so right That's what you need, girlfriend, a little tongue action"

"I can seefor that Oh, Bastien, by the way, I' alone with you, but do you think you could get busy with the tongue?" She erupted with hter

Sonia was grateful for the silliness Molly had been feeling needless guilt "It would be rather aard if you weren't alone with hi in that direction, make certain it isn't in front of me At least, not if Joshua isn't around I'd be all jealous, and ants to be jealous of their bestie getting a little action?"

Molly tossed one of the decorative pillows at her "Stop"

"Not until you agree to go ho packed, it isn't as if you'd have to go home"

"Fine I'll do it I'll be brave, but if I freak out and you hearall the way from his house, which I have no idea where it is, you have to come rescue me"

"That's a proo until I have his address His nuave me his card that day he came to check on you"

"Us He came to check on both of us"

"Girl, you spend your life in denial, but since you agreed to go with hiainst the pillow "Is this over? Will your fa else to you?"

"I don't know," Molly ad careful"

"You've got me to watch out for you"

"Thanks, Sonia By the way, I put your gun under the pillohen I heard Bastien coht you probably didn't have a license for it"

"You'd be right Thanks, honey Are you going to go tell yourhome with him, because I think he plans to sleep downstairs if you stay"

Before Molly could answer, Evan's voice called up the stairs "Your boss is here, Sonia Can you come down?"

"He'd better not be referring to Joshua," Sonia whispered

"I heard that," Joshua called "And I a to Jerry If you want to coet you"

"How could he possibly hear that?" Molly asked "You hispering"

"Big ears," Sonia said in a loud voice "I don't need you to help me walk," she added She wasn't about to be carried like some little child in front of everyone She threw back the blanket and swung her legs over to one side Her thigh hurt, but it wasn't that bad Her face hurtabout "daenuine worry in his voice She saw the same anxiety on Molly's face She had friends Good friends She'd done that on her own

Joshua padded in on bare feet, so silent she scented hiy blond hair fell over his forehead, drawing attention to his eyes She could see his leopard was staying close, watchful, the crystalline blue giving the cat away Fresh blood was seeping through the sleeve

She drew back before he could lift her "You're bleeding again"

"I popped out the stitches"

"What were you doing?" There was a wealth of suspicion in her voice

"Things, baby Taking care of business" He slipped his arentle, taking care to bring her in close against him where she was safe "Put your arms around my neck"

She did, burying her face against his shoulder and inhaling to draw his scent deep "How can you setting shot? That's not fai

r"

"Not fair is a gun going off and hearing your wo she just took a bullet Scared the ever-living fuck right out of me"

She sainst his shoulder "I hope not"

"It isn't funny, Sonia" There was no answering laughter in his voice "That second took a few years off ain"

She pulled back to"

"Or soreed as they reached the bottom of the stairs

"What are you planning? Whatever it is, just forget it This was Molly's draht about me for over a year I'm dead to them, remember?"

Before he could answer, Jerry rolled his wheelchair right to the Joshua over He ild-eyed, his hair disheveled If Jerry could look pale under his per outdoors, he did "How bad is she hurt? Why isn't she in a hospital? If it's the money, Sonia, we can handle that"

"If she needed to go to the hospital, Jerry, she'd be there," Joshua said

He set her in a dining rooraphs and there was an outline of a body on the great roo any of thereat room to Sonia's face