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“Of course I’et through it in soical way—like the way the scorpions keep away from you Instead you bribed someone to open the barrier Anybody could do that”

“Yeah, but it isn’t just anybody who could have coh the Red Zone first before they h in this spot—nobody expects anyone to come in froent at one of theto think you takehard to i Yet another type of interaction she’d never experienced before htful man

“Fix the seats, Mace,” Striker said The hover vehicle was large, the type where you could rearrange the seating to suit yourself “Give us a bench seat up front”

“Fine by me I don’t want her behind h the door of the vehicle

Friday glared at this back “Do we have to take him with us to Monterrey? Can’t he walk back to the caves? I’m sure he’d be happier there”

Striker shook his head and tugged her against hi in the sensation He was tactile, needing to touch, and she was desperate to be touched It was as though her skin were a desert and he was so when she’dhow they’d reacted with one anothershe’d never had She would have loved a fa any form What Striker and his team had was special, reat deal to get there

“Are you two going to snuggle all the way to Monterrey?” Ape-man complained

“Yes” She challenged hi about it

“You know, this must have been how my poor Maman felt when she had to referee betweenold How about the two of you give it a rest until we hit Monterrey” Striker let her loose and threw his backpack into the car

Friday froze, struck du co for exactly that, a sibling to argue with

“Coht as well do it in le up with him instead”

“No!” Mace and Friday said at the saain

Chapter Twenty-Two

Friday slept deep, curled against Striker’s side on the seat between hiot to the deadline for taking the antidote Already the poison was having an impact on her system But she never complained He stroked his hand down her side She was like a little kitten, sheltering against hi him with her life

“I hope you knohat you’re doing” Mace’s voice was barely a whisper, but Striker still checked that Friday wasn’t disturbed by it before he answered