the car, jaws clenched, wondering what percentage of it was bought wit

car and sprinted to the front gate, hoping that there wa

n't renowned for

chain and a solid-looking padlock th

cutter she'd brought along. She'd seen too many stories where the cuttin

e top of the concrete wall, she

ed to take his security seriously. Back door locks were generally easier to access-people o

d Autumn was in the hous

e a child keeping night terrors at bay. The glow

n Finn's house; he clearl

n had com

ps night vision goggles from her backp

the placement of objects, the sound of heavy

tairs and to the largest-lo

ack and naked except for dark-colored briefs w

d glaring d

eep mosquitoes at bay, swept over her as it passed and chi

ough his stomach now protruded like a woman in her first trimester. His once env

at the mercy of younger, stronger men who, if there was any justic

omfort of his bed, totally relaxe

ke that a pe

ow what hit him, she thought as s

etproof, saying that he'd returned fr

you're knif

steadying breath as she wrapped bo

over his broad, lightly-furred chest, positioning the

n place, not believing that now the mom

ought of doing for

e'd carefully pl

what he

couldn

human being in cold blood,

couldn'

the knife, automatically securing the clasp so

t as a band of disappointment squeezed he

et to safety before the blackness at the e

e reached out a hand to the n

odged and started to fall, its metal surroun

before it hi

the

, his right hand delving beneath his pillow and

bbed for the knife, taking several hasty ste

-trained military operative,

o grossly miscalcula

not anticipated him

le resisted the

a

the thick leat

elf as Finn raised his arm and po

end, she t

stantly repla

lcomed

hat would have killed both her and Stella. Instead, the bullet had ri

n switched on the torchlight and flashed

eep slumber by something that looked like a creature from

ll wasn't

of her body, visibly relaxed, and then l

at him, throwing caution to the wind, bristling with rage that with one

ttle Bae, all gr

ad no right to call her by the

ily he'