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“What are you doing?” Sandi snapped at hiht the whole point of this was to keep her alive”

Confusion and indecision flitted across Friday’s face

“The snake likes her,” he told his teammate “It won’t attack I’d bet my life on it”

“But you aren’t,” Sandi snapped “You’re betting hers”

“Bébé” He took a step toward Friday He didn’t knohy, but he felt it was of the utmost importance that she believed him That she trusted him That she accepted the diamondback the way she’d accepted the man “I promise you The snake won’t harm you”

“Damn it!” Sandi threw up her hands “What the hell, she’s already dying, right? What’s the difference if it happens now, or in a couple of days’ time?”

Friday looked up at hi that was irrelevant Seeing to the core of the man

“I promise,” he whispered

She sed hard and turned back to the snake, which had inched across the table toward her Slowly, she reached out to touch the diaers tre the distance between herself and the deadly predator Striker felt the moment she made contact The touch vibrated down his back, in the spot where the reptile normally lay

Deep in hisoff for Friday It wanted her to like hi had been a cat it would have rolled to its back and offered its belly for a rub Instead, it brushed against her hand, th of it Striker shivered at each touch as though she were caressing him

The dialed forward and wrapped itself around Friday’s arm Slowly it worked its way up to her shoulder She froze in place, her eyes ith fear and wonder Striker felt a giddy delight deep inside and kneas the snake It curled around her shoulders, snuggled its head into the crook of her neck and closed its eyes Striker could have sworn he heard the dah with contentment

“What the hell?” Mace muttered

Friday let out a nervous giggle She was adorable, still frozen in place and trehted with that damn reptile

“It likes you” As did Striker, and those feelings were growing by the minute Seemed that neither the man nor the beast could resist this woman

Deep inside him he heard a whisper of a word Mine His eyes shot to Friday and watched as she stroked the long length of the snake Another hispered through his mind Keep His jaw dropped as he realized what he atching His reptile half had claimed her