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Chapter 1

No woman could help but notice the two ht Not with that ah the door One had the broken-nose look of a boxer, the other a ht limp Both moved as if they knew exactly what to do with their bodies at all times

The tho happened to be off-duty firefighters, didn’t register the influx of feminine attention, her of the two fire the other

“The problean, “is that you’re too—”

“If you say ‘nice,’ you’ll be on your ass in two seconds” Fred Breen was at the tail end of a rough night “And you know I can do it”

“Yeah, now I know, since you finally letsecret But check it out” He reached for the trophy Fred dangled froer, as if he didn’t even care about it “Second place, it says here You knoho second place is for? Nice guys Guys who don’t have the killer instinct Guys who give kittens CPR—”

“Don’t start with the kittens again They lived, didn’t they?” Fred flung himself into a chair at a table in the corner, then winced He’d just spent the evening getting the crap beat out of him at the Southern California Muay Thai Championships Every bone in his body ached, and his one into some sort of trauuy who took first? Jet Li couldn’t have beaten that guy He’s like a sixth-generation master”

“Excuses, excuses My point is, I’ve noticed a theme in your life, Freddie-boy Take Courtney—”

“Don’t finish that sentence, Mulligan”

Even Mulligan, instigator that he was, backed off frolare Fred aimed at him “Pitcher?” he asked innocently

“Yeah, sure” Beer or a full-body transplant, either would do

Mulligan headed for the bar while Fred, nearly comatose, slumped further into his chair He knew that no one at the firehouse liked his ex-girlfriend Courtney, which was exactly why he hadn’t told anyone they’d broken up He was tired of everyone’s opinions on his life Including Courtney’s She insisted on calling their current breakup a “trial separation” Getting beat up by Muay Thai s with Courtney