“D snorted. “Gotta be prepared.” He looked up at Jack’s face, frowning. “What?” Jack shrugged. “It’s just….” He sighed. “I’m starting to see words like ‘accessory’ and ‘accomplice’ floating around my head.” D barely reacted. “How about ‘dead on arrival’? Ya like that better?” Jack nodded, pressing his lips together. “Get more ammo. Ammo is good.”

“Saw you out there in the garden. Looked so damn...fine," he said, quietly. "Was like I hadta have ya, right then. Bubbled up like...I dunno, puke or somethin'." Jack chuckled. "You sure have a way with words, D.”

“Stud,” D repeated, growly and low. Jack snorted. “You got a better word for a guy who’s swept my chimney five times in one night?”

“So back to my question: what are you doing here?” Maia asked.Derek sighed, reached into his pocket and handed her a smartphone. “Viktor wanted me to give you this.” Jack turned livid with anger. “She’s not yet fully recovered,” he said furiously. “It’s barely been 48 hours.”“See, I hate getting caught in the middle of this,” Derek said. “It’s almost like a messed-up love triangle.”Jack’s face grew darker. Maia was controlling a grin.“Viktor is worried that he has no way of contacting you,” Derek continued. “Oh, stop scowling, Jack! You’re with Maia, Viktor comes with the package.”“Like fucking hell!”~Derek, Maia & Jack”

“Thanks," Jack said. "My car's back at the store.If we can just make it there."Will noticed me for the first time. "Hey. A girl." He studied my face for a moment, and then he gasped and stopped walking. "Nikki Beckett. You'd better get out of here before my brother sees you.He'd freak.""And,we're walking," Jack said, heaving Will forward."Oh,hey,Jack.Didn't see you there." Will smiled again,undisturbed. His eyes glazed over and he seemed to have forgotten all about me.Jack looked at me around the slumping head of his brother. "Will was wounded. And discharged."Will swung his head around to face me. "They expected me to wear pants!" He prayed the last word across my face, and I gagged at his foul breath. "Like,all the time...It was so hot." He stared at me again. "Hey, you look familiar.Hey,Jack,'member that girl-?""Yes," Jack interrupted."You know,the one who totally messed you up-""Yes," Jack cut him off again. His eyes met mine,and he gave me an apologetic grin. I felt my own lips turning up.”

“Jack grins. Anyways, Saba likes to look at my bare chest.Lugh looks at me. Frowns. Is that a fact? he says.I feel myself go bright red. It is not a fact, I says. You stinker, Jack.”