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They fell silent again, conteance, his belief that he was in control of his world and could do what he liked with it

“Do you knohat this is? The red reedy and evil mankind can be A permanent reminder of e’re capable of A red scar on the face of the planet That’s us We’re a plague A blight We don’t deserve to be here”

“Okay, Susie Sunshine” Striker crouched in front of her “Should I bother trying to save your life, or would you rather end it all here and now?”

Her cheeks flushed “Too much?”

“Just a bit”

She chewed at her lip before talking “I’o in there”

That was priceless He threw back his head and laughed, long and hard When he wiped his eye and looked at her, she was glaring at hied her to her feet

“Bébé, you’re either gonna die in there, or the poison’s gonna get you out here You got nothing to lose No about trusting e? Didn’t those Freedom contacts of yours tell you that I’m the best? Have a little faith, huh?”

She batted those thick eyelashes at hihts to myself instead?”

He shrugged “That works, too Now take off your clothes”

…

Friday blinked at him, unsure she’d heard correctly “What?”

His set naked, chère”

He folded his are The snake tattoo on his neck glinted in the blue light froht it watched her, too

“Re I want, anytime I want”