ned his hip on her desk. His eyes w

te again,"

, Di

home to your wife and two

re you

a piece f

are other ways

could ju

afternoon and talked with José and Ricky. They swear a gun dealer's

"You just keep working the blotter. Let the big boys worry about the viole

ng hooded as his gaze

hree years ago, she thought. Right

ll over her head whenever she talked with him. May

to give you a rid

ning thumbtacks and

ck to her computer screen a

ing for the bar across the street that mo

f M&M's she'd been nursing. T

go home. And pick up some

ash of Twinkies. Tony ate all the time. For him, there was no breakfast, lunch, and dinner: Consumption was a binary proposition. I

d walked down the sta

She was living in a place she didn't care about. She had few friends, no lover, and no romantic prospects. If she looked ahead ten years and pictured herself staying

t of the electronic family of her alarm clock and the phone on

spoken to any of her foster parents for years, so they wouldn't mis

rolled her eyes. That was the problem with workin

looked around. She was heading away from the bars and into the long stretch of vacant buildings before the r

g one said as he fell into step

he summer, which meant they were just going to be annoying, but she didn't

urse anyway, searching

d. "My car's not far. Seriously, how 'bout yo

was definitely going to get him laid. The crony laughed a

her!" the

where was

d at him good and hard. With his polo shirt and his khaki

e Chinese place's sign. She was praying someone else would walk by, but

me your name?" a

ng in her chest. The sp

more

ame for you. Let me think

ond gi

her cell phone, just in c

. Keep it

as going to feel as she went inside. Maybe she'd wait and call a cab,

-American cooed. "I know

ee more

her mouth with a heavy palm. She fought like a madwoman, kicking and punching, and when she reached behind and belted him in the eye, his grip slipped. She lunged a

he got

ed her neck around until she thought it was going to snap and pulled her deeper into the shadows. She coul

were taking her

she jerked her body around furiously, trying to ge

ssed his body into hers. She drove her

it, get h

e blond's shins before he caught her

ke this," all-American growled, try

to use his other hand to rip open her shirt, and as soon as her mouth was free, she screamed. He

eyes boiled with hate and lust as he shoved up the white lace of h

the blond asked, as i

winced, tears making her vision swim. Or maybe her

e's natural. But you can find out

ppen. She forced herself to stop fighting and reached back to her self-defense training. Exce

ce?" he said, eyeing

dded s

to cringe at the rank smell of stale cigarettes and beer. "But i

ded onc

her

iggled, moving around them as if h

her throat. Even though she loathed the sensation of the palms pushing into her br**sts, she reached for the fly of his pants. He was sti

nd kneed him in the nose as he crumbled. Adrenaline shot through her, and for a spl

she screamed

r to her apartment building. Her hands were shaking so badly she could barely get her key in the locks. And it w