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"And risk the case? No way"

He’s right But"Does your girlfriend understand that?"

His heavy sigh fills my ear "She understands that my job comes first"

I roll my eyes "Good luck with that"

"Whatever Drop it" The irritation in his voice swells "How are you feeling after that? Are you okay?"

I knohat he’s referring to "I’ about a story I once heard about a fe ato bust, to prove herself and keep fro shot She downed half a bottle ofto rid herself of the vile taste

There’s no vile taste in h In fact, if I concentrate, I can still feel et’s lips--softer than I expected theain

"Okay, go relax I’ll be on for tonight"

"If there is a tonight," I mutter

"Don’t worry You’ve hooked him He just may not know it yet"

Chapter 13

LUKE

"Coarette With the noise fro on the tenth floor, I’ overheard

Vlad’s heavy, irritated exhale fills my ear "Perhaps, but"

Rust warned ave h Because it’s Dotiate with the bastard I like to think I have a knack for negotiations And because I have to co as I promised ould

I also want to prove that I’m not the half-wit he seeuy "Dude, come on They retail for a quarter-million here What’s the proble souy’s custom-made Ferrari Spider on a weekend trip to Seattle Then he shows up at his father, Nikolai’s, doorstep with it According to Rust, who talked to Dmitri after my call with him, Nikolai lost hisso stupid At least the idiot was s syste to impress a mistress with a new car, recently"