“If he'd looked like a cross between Mr. Clooney and, say, one of the hobbits, I probably would have been far more capable of coherent thought.”

“Hello, ladies," Joe Solomon said, but not before I snatched the piece of paper and crammed it in my mouth, which ordinarily would have been really great spy maneuvering except that Josh didn't use Evapopaper."How's the lasagna?" Mr. Solomon asked, and I started to say something before I remembered that my mouth was...well...otherwise engaged.”

“I for one like chaos. Chaos looks good on me.”

“When Hale's hand disappeared inside his tuxedo jacket, Macey wasn't exactly sure what he'd find inside the pocket. It could have been another phone or a breath mint. Really, nothing would have surprised her. Well nothing except..."Is that an earbud?" she whispered. He smiled. "Are you on comms?" "Shhh," he told her softly.”

“So the quesiton is," Bex said slowly,"How far are you willing to go?"I looked at my three best friends in the world. "How far is there?”

“Wait. Far be it for me to say this" — Hamish looked around the compartment — "and if anyone tells Uncle Eddie I suggested being an upstanding citizen I'll kill 'em, but aren't there...laws and stuff? I mean, can't you...you know...sue him or something?" asked the boy who had once stolen an entire circus, all three rings.”

“Hale, this life . . .' she started slowly, still practically speechless. 'This . . . what we do--what my family does--it looks a lot more glamorous when you choose it.''So choose it.' He handed her another envelope. Smaller this time. Thinner.'What's this?' she asked.'That, darling, is my full confession. Dates. Times.' Hale leaned against the antique table. 'I thought the crane rental receipt was a particularly nice touch.' Kat looked at him, speechless. 'It's your ticket back into Colgan. If you want it.''Hale, I . . .'But Hale was still moving, shrinking the distance between them. He seemed impossibly close as he whispered. 'And I didn't choose it, Kat. I chose you.”