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Realization sank in "You want me to be bait?"

"Only for a day or two," Ritter said

"No way," Drew said

The harsh finality in his voice needled her in all the soft spots she'd fought for so long to keep protected It was a call back to her days alking down the halls of Catfish Creek High School was like navigating a minefield with people like his sister, Jessica—her forrenades for the freak in black, her teachers warning she'd neverout with the losers in the school parking lot, and those losers wondering why in the hell the bitchy brainiac was out there s a joint with them Everyone had loved to tell Leah what exactly she should be doing with her life It had taken awhile, but she'd finally figured it out on her own and she wasn't about to gi

ve up that power to anyone—especially not the man who'd broken her heart as if it hadn't been worthy of special care

She pivoted in her seat, facing Drew full on, and smiled It wasn't a nice smile "It's not up to you"

The vein in his teer"

"I'er from the sounds of it" What with the Rhinestone Cowboys following her froer Shack

Drew's hand cla a wave of invisible sparks up her arht to her clit "Not if you refuse"

Her nipples puckered against the sheer h her Da this effect on her when she knew better than to fall for it Desperate to reassert her control, she yanked her arone

"Nohere's the fun in that?" She turned to the agents "I'll do it"

Ritter nodded "We can keep a watch on you, Ms Ca the case If their past history is indicative of future behavior, then Hank Wynn and Markus Miller, the ressive They tend to use their size for show"

"Don't worry," Drew said "I'll be right next to her the whole time"

Telling hiave in to it, but she wasn't that duular badass wannabes that she dealt with on an all too frequent basis in Denver They had FBI agents following them There was a one point six million dollar diamond on the line Nicer people than those tould do a whole lot of bad things for that kind of uard she would have said yes immediately That it was Drew rankled, but the choice between dealing with hi the Rhinestone Cowboys again on her oasn't much of a decision

"Fine," she said, still not liking it even if it was the right choice