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They reached the top of the stairs She forced herself to stand and liave out, and she ended up crawling over the door fra Lenny

Hue when she sao of her custorabbed the back of a chair and pulled herself into it, holding in a whimper of relief

As the men disappeared back down the stairs, she looked up at Lenny defiantly, refusing to waver in her cool appraisal of hi

Lenny laughed, but she could sense his underlying irritation "I wonder what it would take to get you off your high horse" His ser"

The twoa half-unconscious Bowen at her feet Lenny watched her closely, waiting for a reaction, but she ust and horror off her face If he’d do this to his own son, ould he do to her? When Lenny turned to close her apartun at the small of his back With a nervous s, she risked a look down at Bowen and couldn’t stop herself frohtless behavior Perhaps she deserved whatever she got

"Youher chair "You decide to go straight, drop off the radar for a year, and then reappear, looking for a game" He stopped in front of her, leaned down near her face "And if that didn’t tipto screw me, the unmarked car that dropped you off outside would have The second you left the warehouse, I got the hell out of there because I knew a raid was coed "I should thank you andme off You were barely out the door before he slipped away to warn you I was colared in Lenny’s direction Hurief She’d likely blown the arrest and gotten Bowen hurt in the process If she’d stayed out of it, none of this would be happening Instead, she’d gone and jeopardized Troy, Bowen, and herself when she’d

intended on the exact opposite Her throat tightened, euesslike you"

Lenny’s eyes glittered dangerously He stepped away fro the back of his neck with jerky iant step forward and slapped her across the face, hard enough to knock her off the chair Stinging pain radiated from her cheek; a surprised cry tore fro to shield her, but she put a hand on his cheek and told hi him be punished any more for her mistake

A hand circled her neck and yanked her off the floor She was thrown back into the chair, choking and dragging in deep gulps of air Helplessly, she watched as Lenny reached into the back of his jeans for his gun

This is it This is it, herit out loud as well Ruby squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting the final ie she ever saw to be Lenny’s face

Her apart of a gun and a voice that sent relief racing through her body

"I wouldn’t reach for that gun, Mr Driscol" Troy’s voice vibrated with intensity Both of Lenny’s men reach into their jackets "You two, either My backup just arrived You won’t "