Ruthless Creatures by J.T. Geissinger

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The voice on the other end of the line is male, raspy, andheavily accented. Max has been a two-pack-a-day smoker foras long as I’ve known him, and it shows in both his voice andhis face. His teeth aren’t so pretty, either.“Yes.”With that one word, I’ve told the most dangerous lie of mylife. Max has had men killed for far less.I should know. I’ve been the one who pulled the trigger.He grunts. “Good. I don’t like loose ends. She knowanything?”“No. She knew nothing. She would’ve told me if she did.”His chuckle is low and mirthless. “That’s why I sent youfor the job. Everybody talks when you’re the one askingquestions.”It’s true. I’m the best in the business.Usually, that kind of compliment would give me a certainsense of satisfaction, if not outright pride. Today, however, itmakes me depressed.I don’t have to wonder why. I know the reason.That reason has raven-black hair and full red lips and eyesthe color of a stormy sea, blue-gray and moody. That reason issweet and funny and sharp and sexy. And honest. And brave.And a hell of a lot tougher than she thinks.From the first time I saw her, that reason kicked me rightin the guts. Or made me feel like it, anyway.“Thank you.”“For what?”“For making me feel something. It’s been a long time sincesomeone did. I wasn’t sure I could anymore.”Those ten seconds of conversation have affected me morethan anything else in years. Decades. It’s burned into my brain.My ears. My heart.
I didn’t think I still had a heart, but I must. That hollowspace in my chest I’ve had for so long is filled with wildbeating.Because of her.“I’ll follow up on the other leads. Get back to you as soonas I have anything.”“You do that. And Kage?”“Yes, boss?”“Ya rasschityvayu na vas.” I’m counting on you.“Ya znayu.” I know.Picturing Natalie’s face, I close my eyes.If anyone ever finds out I didn’t do the job I was sent todo, we’re both dead.
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RUTHLESS CREATURES
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CONTENTSPrefacePlaylist1. Nat2. Nat
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This is a work of fiction. Names, c
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For Jay, my poison of choice.
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P L A Y L I S T“Desperado” Rhia
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Chris isn’t a bad guy. He’s not
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David and I rescued him when he was
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Today marks five years since David
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I take my sweet time using the toil
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I’m shocked. This is unprecedente
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walk into a room without automatica
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2N A T“Earth to Natalie. Come in,
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I wonder what she’d do if I dumpe
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thousand feet above sea level isn
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“Because I’m awesome, obviously
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me up on Steelhead, so I thought I
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3K A G EIt shouldn’t make a diffe
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I run my tongue over my furry teeth
Page 38 and 39: “Breakfast it is.”After I’ve
Page 40 and 41: I mean, if I can handle this, I can
Page 42 and 43: palpitating.When the front door sla
Page 44 and 45: 5N A T“Itold you he was a widower
Page 46 and 47: “Him who? Reschedule what?”“I
Page 48 and 49: I make a show of polishing off my s
Page 50 and 51: Whoa. That was my stomach dropping.
Page 52 and 53: He murmurs to himself, “She’s f
Page 54 and 55: Not angry, exactly, but more like u
Page 56 and 57: He’s breaking out the manners, I
Page 58 and 59: the set of Sons of Anarchy, and und
Page 60 and 61: My mouth opens. For several moments
Page 62 and 63: life, not even my fiancé.”He wai
Page 64 and 65: I settle on, “I’m not the girl
Page 66 and 67: “Oh, come on! You would not!”
Page 68 and 69: “I just feel like…I don’t kno
Page 70 and 71: I lose the battle with trying to ho
Page 72 and 73: run a hand over my hair, and try to
Page 74 and 75: But it must’ve been only a day or
Page 76 and 77: An extra set of house keys is there
Page 78 and 79: He glances bashfully at the ground
Page 80 and 81: “I have one just like it. Same si
Page 82 and 83: “Tomorrow night, then. Tuesday ni
Page 84 and 85: “So I thought about what you said
Page 86 and 87: He doesn’t turn around. He simply
Page 90 and 91: 1 0
Page 92 and 93: Getting through class Monday is she
Page 94 and 95: She holds my ID up against her comp
Page 96 and 97: The interior of the box is simple.
Page 98 and 99: were toast.”It’s true. He was a
Page 100 and 101: “Your Honor, I present to the cou
Page 102 and 103: N A TAmonth goes by. Then another.
Page 104 and 105: When I only stand there staring at
Page 106 and 107: The ghost of a smile lifts the corn
Page 108 and 109: He’s thrown his wool overcoat ont
Page 110 and 111: He murmurs, “I want everything yo
Page 112 and 113: heartbeat in every part of my body,
Page 114 and 115: N A TTover the line.he next day, I
Page 116 and 117: “What?” she demands. I can almo
Page 118 and 119: Aaand here comes the heat in my che
Page 120 and 121: In his pause, I feel his surprise.
Page 122 and 123: “We’ve been over this. We’re
Page 124 and 125: “Don’t worry,” he says in a h
Page 126 and 127: N A TWHa!hen Kage knocks on my door
Page 128 and 129: out of my head, and I’ve tried. H
Page 130 and 131: I say, “Okay. Let’s say I accep
Page 132 and 133: Then he breaks away suddenly and st
Page 134 and 135: I whisper, “So either don’t tel
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Upon laying eyes on Kage, every one
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“Here. Boston. Chicago. New York.
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The table falls into silence when t
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He murmurs, “We’d be pleased to
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He pushes me against the wall. His
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When my orgasm hits, I lose myself.
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K A G EWhorror.“What was that?”
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No—not cowers. Her legs are curle
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If we’re lucky, they won’t see
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N A TKage is silent as he drives. H
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“In a nutshell…yes.”Now I’m
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His voice gravelly, he says, “It
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He knows what I’m asking.Knows th
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He pulls his brows together. “Of
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N A TIalready knew Kage was intense
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Harsh, guttural Russian, the words
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The moment when I finally give myse
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Into my hair, he whispers, “I hav
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I kiss him softly on the lips. “Y
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N A TWe talk for a while, then Kage
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When the plate is empty, he sets it
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His voice has dropped an octave and
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“I love this greedy wet cunt—
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So of course I have to keeping roll
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That’s the last thing I remember
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N A TWhen I open the door, I find t
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Pause. A daring stare. I say nothin
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Men.“I don’t know anything.”H
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“Jesus, Nat. That guy? Are you ki
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“We landed in Rome. Now we’re o
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Then I click over to Kage.
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N A T“K“Good morning. I left yo
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“Mine, of course.”He sounds so
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trying very hard not to break out i
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—”“Mr. Santiago from MoraBanc
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N A TFor the next few weeks, I exis
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I call my parents in Arizona, but t
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“—is a liar, a career criminal,
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I say firmly, “This is private pr
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2 2
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He winds his arms around my back, p
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I give up with a grateful sigh and
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My voice comes out in the barest of
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“You’d let me tie you up and bl
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I giggle a little when I picture my
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2 3
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I think for a moment. “Where were
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giving me a great view of his beaut
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“Was that planned?”“No.”I s
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I cover my mouth with both my hands
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2 4
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Too addictive. I’m too far under
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N A TAfter the shower, I pour Kage
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It’s not gruesome. It’s not eve
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He squeezes my butt when he says,
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That makes me snort. “Not even cl
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“I know you’re not giving me sh
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His voice breaks. “Not even for l
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2 6
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“Not that.”His voice is serious
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“I mean when I told you my life w
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Still advancing slowly, he says sof
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2 7
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This one, apparently.He’s an evil
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The skin on his cock is the softest
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My entire central nervous system is
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Kage breathes, “Fuck, baby. You l
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2 8
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threads a hand into my hair and gri
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“Color?”Panting, I whisper, “
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“Hush now. No more sound unless I
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I arch, gasping, out of my mind wit
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He makes me feel safe. Safe and pro
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N A TA We don’t talk about it, bu
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Kage comes back and this sour littl
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surfaces.“What about you? Are you
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didn’t go over well. By the time
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“Oh, I know. I also know your mat
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3 0
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She stares at me like I’ve just s
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I look at the ceiling and heave a s
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Silence.When I glance up at her, Sl
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Of all the times Kage has probably
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K A G EWhen the text comes through,
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He wants to know what to do with th
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warehouse, headed back to their fam
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“Yeah. She broke it off with Stav
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I can’t.Because for the first tim
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N A TAfter that night, three days g
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Because I’m hearing the ringing o
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His lids drift lower. He licks his
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He swallows and tightens his arms a
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could get you killed.”His laugh i
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N A TII lie in the dark in Kage’s
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I close my eyes. A lone tears slips
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I say, “Green. Do it.”A gentle
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He winds an arm around my waist, wr
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K A G EWhen the view outside the be
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I want to sink my teeth into every
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“What you said to make Chris go a
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3 5
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It’s a Saturday. I’m up early,
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The footsteps in the snow. The nigh
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He exhales a short, disappointed br
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deafening. I scream, purely on inst
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N A TKage drops the shotgun and fli
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When he stays silent, I prompt, “
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K A G EA My father told me that. He
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She takes it from me silently. She
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“When were you going to start ask
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As she points the gun an inch from
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When I return an hour later, her ho
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N A TThe instant the door closes be
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Catherine Zeta-Jones played the par
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I pack a bag, call my parents, and
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N A TThe Villa Camilla Hotel in Pan
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I try to make my smile look as sane
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I also can’t wait to set it on fi
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4 0
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Nobody threatens my baby.
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N A TWhen I come to, I’m lying on
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“Okay, that covers the first few
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He murmurs, “I never wanted to hu
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for me? Not knowing what had happen
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“I don’t understand.”I try to
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4 2
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years ago or you are. My money’s
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Behind him, an attractive brunette
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4 3
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It’s obvious she can tell by the
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I’ll leave her alone all she want
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but he does care about gaining adva
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“Max is dead.”She blinks. I nod
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4 4
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in a bit of a state.”“A state?
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She’s unimpressed. “Puh. He’s
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“To bed.”I don’t bother fight
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pulling it out and stroking it from
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N A TOver the next week, what seems
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He chuckles. “Yes. That one’s t
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“Answer the damn question.”“
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“Headstrong? You’ve been readin
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E P I L O G U E
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Shaking my head, I snort. “There
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Oh boy. This doesn’t look good.I
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A C K N O W L E D G M E N T SWhew!
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A B O U T T H E A U T H O RJ.T. Gei
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STANDALONE NOVELSPerfect Strangers(
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Ruthless Creatures by J.T. Geissinger

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