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Malachi pulled out his cell He called David and winced when his friend answered, then covered his phone "Sounds like I woke him and he’s cranky," he said But she could diht’ve just fallen asleep, but he was already awake, telling Malachi he’d get crews right on it

He walked over to the apart, he said, "Despite Grant’s coent Anderson Even dank from the river, you don’t look bad"

"Thank you We’re locked in, so we’re fine, aren’t we?" she asked him

"We are," he assured her "And I have soer--froed to Ruth Seymour The first victim"

"Gus couldn’t have known that!"

"No, I don’t believe he could have But I do believe he called you because of it"

"Why not the police?" she murmured

"He must have been worried--and perhaps he knew you’d never suspect hiht StillI don’t think it would’ve changed anything if he had called them"

She nodded

"You’re okay?"

"Of course I know Gus was doing his best" She gave hio do the same," he said

Abby walked down the hallway to her own room She stripped, but before she went into the shower, she tended to her Glock This wasn’t a night she wanted to discover that she’d daed her service weapon When she was sure it had dried properly and was back in good shooting order, she set it in a drawer of her bedside table, then finally walked into the shower The heat that suffused her, the sense of being clean again, was aled, she slipped into a terry robe and returned to the living rooazed sternly down at her fros that adorned the walls Gus had loved his heritage, loved this place

She loved it, too No e that She would find him

She sat down to check the screens There was no onslayer

As Malachi came out of Gus’s roo a blue terry robe, his dark hair slicked back and wet "Everything okay?" he asked her huskily

"Quiet Just like it should be"

She sat at the coain and he leaned over her to study the screens She became very aware of the heat of his body and couldn’t help thinking that he ht be naked under the robe She was naked under hers She focused on his face as he watched the screen She noted again the character that seeed planes of his cheekbones and jaw She felt the vitality of his reed "And these saht--they’ll take shifts"

"We don’t have to take a shift?" she asked hients," he told her "I ad to know the people in both Krewes Usually there are one--or so The people most connected to the situation That’s us, in other words Sowe sleep e can The others cover the watches and do the research on people, places or possible suspects"

She wasn’t really listening There was so about the scent of soap on neashedabouthim

He looked froe in their mercurial hazel color

Ti and following the lines of her cheeks and jaw She stood up, coht into his arms, and when his hands fell away, it was only because he needed theainst him

He kissed her, a pressure on her lips that was, at first, a request She drew closer to hiue Arousal swept through her, and she continued to feel the hunger of his lips, his touch They see on and on It was as if a kiss were a brand-new thing, as if they’d invented it

But in tih, and she felt his hands under her robe,her skin His touch was alh his hair, moved closer and closer to hiain and again he whispered, "Bedroom"

She whispered back, "Mine"

He inhaled sharply, his teeth grating "Wait We have to slon I’, but I’m on the Pill"

He returned her s, still kissing, crashing into a wall here and there Finally they reached her bedroole around theled out of his robe and helped remove hers He paused for a h histhe feel of her breasts against the heat of his chest Again, they kissed, still kissing as they eased back down

She felt hith of her body She felt his touch, so evocative, so arousing that she was nearly delirious Her life had been the Dragonslayer and the acadebut she knew that wouldn’t havewould have ed reality for others, created ic for her She had never wanted anyone so ry And his every touch fulfilled her His intiht her almost to the brink, teased her and let her slip to becoain And then, he thrust deeply into her, filled her, and his ency