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36
Rain closed her eyes against the flash. When she opened them, all that remained of him was a pile of rust colored dust. Her hand clenched on the Bell, closing the connection.
Her room was neat and empty. There was no way to trace Azion’s death to her.
She felt a little sick. She’d let the man reach out to his own destiny, but knowing he was dead wasn’t the sweet relief she’d hoped for. Abruptly, she got up and left the room.
***
Fallon was in Jayems’s study, examining a printout of Azion’s rooms. He’
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“She’s not!”“Fine, but she did us a service just the same. Don’t punish her for it. Have you considered that she might be hurting? Killing is never easy. For all you know, she’s afraid of what we’ll do if we find out.”“We won’t do anything! Well, I might spank her blue, but…”Keilor actually shook him, smoothly dodging Fallon’s thank-you punch. “Fine, now that you’ve got your aggression out, you’d better plan what you’re really going to say to her,” he snapped, and then his face softened. “I’m trying to help you, cuz.”
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It hurt. Rain glanced over her shoulder, crouched on the gritty alley floor. The fall had skinned her palms and knees, and the wounds stung. But they were coming; she could hear them over the sounds of midnight traffic, though she didn’t try to peer into the glare of streetlights. She ran.Breathless, trembling with adrenaline and exhaustion, she forced herself into a stumbling lope. Her sweat-soaked jeans and t-shirt had turned clammy, adding to the misery. She would have loved to ditch her ragged jacket and pack, but didn’t dare; they comprised all of her worldly goods, and she needed them in the chill London fog.Scaling the chain link fence at the end of the alley was easy, evading the snarling Doberman who went for her throat was not. With no time for
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“Like animals for him, I hear. Scream and scratch while he’s riding him, and beg for more, they say. Makes me wish I were the charmer. Lucky bloke.”“Shut up! And make sure that recorder is working. We want to get every name.”Blocking her view of the men with his body, Rory hunched down to her level, tracing the skin of her face with one finger. “Tell me the names, sweetheart. Tell me how to find them.”It was too much. Breathless, desperate to please him, she opened her mouth. “My father’s cousin used to live in…”An enormous blast shook the cell, oblite
Golden Bell 3
True to his word, he was in the kitchen, stirring something in a wok. Ignoring her flash of awareness at the sight of his muscular back, and the way he turned and looked her over slowly, as if surprised, she cleared her throat. “Mind if I borrow this?” At his slight headshake, she took his bottle of olive oil and spread a drop on her palms, rubbing it on her face and hands. “Dry skin,” she explained at his curious look.Nodding, he gestured to the kitchen island and a plate of raw fruit and veggies. “Help yourself. This will be done in a minute.”Fallon was surprised. He’s suspected she’d clean up well, but he hadn’t expected sable hair that gently waved down to a trim little waist. Baggy clothes and sweat-streaked
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“What’s wrong?”“I lost my toothbrush.”He choked, probably on a laugh. “We’ll get you another one.”“Are there any banks open? Trent and his buddies didn’t bother to check my pockets, and I’ve got a little money I’d like to exchange.” Two shillings was a little money, after all.“I’ll take care of it for you. Wouldn’t you rather shower first? You’ve had a rough day.”Debating the merits of escaping him in a bank while exhausted, nearly penni
Golden Bell 5
True to his word, he was in the kitchen, stirring something in a wok. Ignoring her flash of awareness at the sight of his muscular back, and the way he turned and looked her over slowly, as if surprised, she cleared her throat. “Mind if I borrow this?” At his slight headshake, she took his bottle of olive oil and spread a drop on her palms, rubbing it on her face and hands. “Dry skin,” she explained at his curious look.Nodding, he gestured to the kitchen island and a plate of raw fruit and veggies. “Help yourself. This will be done in a minute.”Fallon was surprised. He’s suspected she’d clean up well, but he hadn’t expected sable hair that gently waved down to a trim little waist. Baggy clothes and sweat-streaked
Golden Bell 6
‘Nobody’ implied more than one attacker, perhaps more than one incident. When had it happened? After her father’s death, while she was on the run? She was too tightly wound now to question further, but there would be another time.It grated that any woman would be attacked, but bit even deeper with this one. She was under his protection now, whether she cared for it or not, and he took that responsibility seriously. She couldn’t stay on the edge she was walking, one wrong step, and the knife’s edge would cut her in two.Fortunately, he was a man of many talents. Taking care of women ranked among his best.They were finishing their meal as the doorbell rang. Excusing
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Giving her a look, he slipped the tools from her damp fingers and did the honors. Blinking in surprise, she slid into the room, unsurprised when he kept her picks.He drew her door key from his pocket and tossed it on the bedside table. “You’ll feel better having that, though there’s little point, is there?” He looked at the bed and his brows rose. Moving closer, he frowned at the piles of folded clothes and the foreign currency resting on top. He glanced at her.“I paid you back,” she said defensively. It wasn’t much money, but it was all she had.“Did you put a price on your rescue, too? I could present you with an itemized bill, if you like.&rdq
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