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“Okay, okay, I pro an asshole” I threw esture of placation “Like I told your buddy here, I’ve never heard of Diaz, and I’ve never heard of a jewel”

Salimah’s eyebrow, shaped very much like a scimitar, raised in a sharp curve “Then as aaround Nirvana? Why is the Heartstopper ?”

“Nirvana? And why is the Heartstopper – look, lady, now you’re justup words I don’t know about no jewel, and I sure as hell haven’t heard of any Heartstopper What is it, like an artifact?”

Sali After a tense few seconds, she spoke again

“Connor Break one of his fingers”

Meathead – Connor – sht I yelped

“Wait Wait What can I do to prove that I wasn’t the guy who stole your whatever it was? What if I – what if I helped you find it?”

Salimah tilted her head, her lips pursed as she consideredI needed more vampires in my life like I needed a hole in the head

“Connor,” Salimah said

I breathed in relief

“Break two fingers”

I struggled harder than ever, the flesh at ers, and I turned ainst the wall behind me Could I step into it if I didn’t have the freedom of ers threatening to crush my windpipe? One way to find out

But I never did A streak of silver crashed through the alley, slaainst Connor with a horrible crack The hand holding me by the throat whizzed away as the varound, clutchingfor where Connor had been thrown I shouldn’t have been surprised to find out who my savior was

I gri indebted to Sterling God, I kneas going to lord this one over h, years, but seeing as how I couldn’t even set foot outside the hideout for a ha half-murdered, maybe I’d be dead sooner rather than later

Sterling growled as he held Connor against the ground, both of his hands clenched against his collar The best way to describe Sterling was that he was slender, the kind of guy who dressed like he was the lead in a rock band, all piercings and leather and long hair But as lanky as he looked, there was a reason Carver kept hih a door as if it were made out of paper