e's

ll away fr

during b

e cut on my lower lip to my

e vicious wh

ze toast had si

outh twitched. She was joking-or at least

forcing my voice to remain dry, "I wo

the denial yo

better answer. Students began hurrying toward thei

didn'

ift was bad, showed up this morning with bruises and a cut lip, and now Blaire is hu

less second,

wn up around, and Zane could threaten more than my reputation.

andle it

tightened. "You shou

answer, the s

n headed toward the west corri

into the crowd, feeling

four, I entered t

enough that I almost believed it would cover the trace of

mo

the man to whom I had reported the loose brake line. Marcus was broad-shouldered, with close-cropped gray hair and

early,"

minu

unts aro

st the latest shipment, record tire-wear measurements, clean and return diagnostic

ines, engines, or crawlin

standing beside you," Marcus said. "If someone

fted across

at inclu

ially

ost s

I saw

garage floor with Crew beside him. A security vi

nized the east service c

th her head lowered and one hand pressed over her mouth. Her hair covered

g her

He said something I couldn't hear,

ound mine

down at t

naware of the exchange or kind enough to igno

before footsteps sound

me down

ast night. One of its distinctive metal buttons was mis

ring at that jacket while

torage shelves before

hift early last

for su

. "I didn't realize my second job

wasn

u looking at the

e who used the eas

hand. "That sounds like an exc

your assignment to interactive hosting. You left without signing out

anded with c

he machine registered it. "If you alre

caught a hostess leaving less than a minute a

ace him. "You mean t

dropped t

eemed to nar

ed to your l

akfa

rose slightly

bit

ar

ental injuries to

remained fixed on the small cut

thin red line between the silver rings now, but I knew exactl

ered a fract

interesting

ave blood on

over the fading ma

s. I returned to the shipm

nough for his shoulder to n

he label in front of me, alth

tilted

anged s

almost casual, and far more

wn. "Are you monitor

mething und

se stu

ses with perfume," I said. That

he hos

t take a

caught the faint scent of cedar and smoke, and my body betraye

nostril

oss the garage. "Wilder, stop interrogating my assi

hing up the scanner. "Techn

ed and went

for another moment. "You

d one that's any

ed, but instead of pu

ve made it eas

did

Zane found reasons to cr

ss. He checked recovery data with the trainers, reviewed Engine 7's damaged brake a

ask brought him

ecked the inventory c

ee diagnostic tools were sti

offee beside my elbow

e cup. "I didn

s made

ly you gave

re we

t. It contained milk and far too muc

robably a

r. Marcus demonstrated how to position the gauge, watched me complete t

only a few feet so the crew could inspect a leak near the rear axle. Marcus checked both

e side and mark where the fluid is coming fr

erst

ad called him over to examine one

the rear assembly. A dark trail of fluid ran down the meta

y shadow stretched be

med to pull away from

click sound

oked

upe dr

shouted

nished beneath my knees. Zane wrenched me backw

e concret

l tight around my waist and his other hand cupping the back of my head. Behind us,

ed from a n

rything

. A harsh breath escaped him, a

ribs,"

m f

the lift, shouting for someone to cut t

d rested the night before. Cedar and smoke filled my lungs, untouched

eath c

id m

his shirt. I released him immediately, b

r of u

rcus barked.

pell

e's face tightened again as my w

ay," I

slowly. "She di

as hurt, not whether s

" I stood and off

for a moment b

met, the current sna

thout releas

After a brief inspection, he reached into

ession d

it?" Cr

n was almost comp

ment f

ween his fingers. "These do

ce spread thr

raised car. "Shut down the garage. No one touches this lift

and began is

n to me. "If that secon

did,"

him. "Pull th

without an

myself. First his brake l

ing to hate

tepped

one near the con

N

ll you to work

d it after chec

my face, as though the answer to bo

ught a damp strand of my

s so unexpecte

close enough

ynthetic sweetness

ze sha

from his hand. "W

ad back to hold his gaze. When he spoke, his v

re you la