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“If it were me, I’d kill the business partner”

“That’s you,” Eve said with a quick glance “And I iine you’d kill both of them”

“You know me so well” He stepped toward her, put his hands on her shoulders “On the financial end, you may want to consider that whatever Cicely’s share of Mercury was, Angelini’s matches it They held equal shares”

“Fuck” She struggled with it “Still, et a new one” He continued to stand there, his hands cupping her shoulders, his eyes on hers “What are you looking at?”

“The gleaain “I have some sympathy for Marco, you see, because I re end of that look, and that tenacity”

“You hadn’t killed anyone,” she reminded him “Lately”

“Ah, but you weren’t sure of that for a time, and still you weredrawn Noe’re—” The beeper on his watch pinged “Hell” He kissed her again, quick and distracted “We’ll have to re”

Just as well, Eve thought Hot blood interfered with a clear head “I’ll see you later then”

“At home?”

She fiddled with her coffee cup “At your place, sure”

Ied into his jacket The slight bulge in the pocket reht you a present in Australia”

With soold box When she opened it, reluctance scattered There was no roo Christ, Roarke Are you insane?”

It was a diaraced a twisted gold chain and glinted fire Shaped like a tear, it was as long and wide as the first joint of a man’s thumb

“They call it the Giant’s Tear,” he said as he casually took it from the box and draped the chain over her head “It was o It happened to come up for auction while I was in Sydney” He stepped back and studied its shooting sparks against the plain blue robe she wore “Yes, it suits you I thought it would” Then he looked at her face and s on kiwi Well, perhaps next tiht up short by the slap of her hand against his chest “Problem?”

“This is crazy You can’t expectlike this”