“Mike didn't look dangerous. I knew better. I'd grown up with him. The bump on my nose was testament to the hardness of his fists. The only thing that saved me was he'd stopped growing at five-nine while I'd kept going for a few more inches. It didn't make me more intimidating. My height just meant I had longer legs to run away with.”

“We were close enough to kiss, so close I could feel his warm breathon my mouth. I parted my lips, taking what he felt he could give me, inhailing the kiss he couldn't give me.”

“I taught my sons to be men. I don't care who they love. I care about how they act. The moment they stop having manners or treat someone poorly, then we'll have words. Other than that, I only want them to be happy, and if you make Kane happy, then all I have to say to ye is welcome to the family.”

“And I saw that all my life I had known that this was going to happen, and that I'd been afraid for a long time, I'd been afraid for a long time. There's fear, of course, with everybody. But now it had grown, it had grown gigantic; it filled me and it filled the whole world.”

“And lastly, I want to thank Harrison Ford. Because I can. And let's face it, he shaped as much of my world and imagination as anyone else I can think of. I owe him a hell of a lot.”

“His squirming turned to near seizures, and he swung his arms, smacking me across the cheek. Of course it was the hand with the brick. I saw stars and rolled over. If Rocket got shot at, maybe he could deflect it with his brick, like Wonder Woman.”

“I stole a bit of a chopped vegetable and was about to put it in my mouth when Jae’s long fingers closed over my wrist. “What? You can’t eat this raw?”“It’s bitter melon. You won’t like it.” He went into the fridge and came out with something that looked halfway familiar. “Here, leftover bao. There’s char siu inside.”“The red pork stuff? Yeah, I like that. I thought it was Chinese.” “It is. We also eat hamburgers and spaghetti.”