“Of course, he wants to be a thoughtful gentleman, not a trained seal getting food for tricks.”

“He wanted three miracles tonight. It was the prayer of a devil. How dare he even ask? But Beckett had no shame. The thought of Blake walking around with a trail of trained killers behind him stopped his heart.”

“Blake?” Livia closed one eye while she waited.“Livia.” He was still there.“You waited,” Livia whispered.“Of course. I’ll always wait.”Livia smiled wider than she thought possible.”

“Of course Chris. Please. Captain Romance back there wants to inject himself into you like a vaccine.”

“He was easily six feet tall. The teens’ faces registered shock as he unfurled himself. But instead of trying put the fear of God in the bullies, he whispered in her ear.“You’re going to miss your train.”

“Please don’t think of me that way. Let me be the guy at the train station.”“You’re not the guy at the train station. You’re my Blake.”

“Number 1 was the hardest to think about now. After. But Blake let himself go there as Chaos pressed into the deepest punctures.Blake liked the train station because the trains offered reliable percussion for the songs he played in his head. When Livia had first stepped onto the platform, Blake had tried his hardest not to stare. He knew moneyed people didn’t like their women getting ogled by the homeless. But she was so friendly, even in this place where people built their own personal bubbles and stayed in them. When she smiled she looked like a walking ray of the sunshine he had to avoid.Her eyes had found his and shocked him. Blake was used to the blank, anesthetized eyes of those looking everywhere but at him. Her smile was resuscitation for his soul.Me! She sees me.”