
His mouth turned chalky. "You look like hell."

She snorted, winced. "Thanks."

"I mean it. Jesus Christ, Georgia, you should be in a hospital."

She aimed a painful-looking nod towards his open hutch. "I was about to fix the worst of it when you busted in here." She scowled at his gun. "You could scare a person to death with a stunt like that, you know. Who do you think you are, Frank Bullitt?"

She was here. She was actually here. Darius started to speak. Stopped, then started over. "You broke into my office."

Georgia gimped back over to the hutch. "Yep."

He watched her slow progress without a word. If he was a gentleman, he'd offer to help. Too bad for her he wasn't feeling like much of a gentleman. A chaotic mix of emotions churned inside him. Relief. Anger. Longing. She was the last person in the world he wanted to see. She was the only person in the world he wanted to see.

He willed his face to remain impassive. "What are you doing here?"

She lifted a shoulder, carefully lowered it again. "Honestly, I didn't have much choice. Don't know if you've been paying attention to the news, but there's been another massacre. The cops have it in their heads I was involved."

Darius stared. "That's ridiculous."

"Yeah. I told them that."

"And?"

Her lips twisted. "It didn't have the desired effect." She blew out a sigh, winced again. "It gets better. The Witching Council got wind of the investigation. Don't ask me how. They've settled for a shoot-first-ask-questions-later approach."

Darius' stomach plummeted. "That's not possible. Kristof—"

"—Was waiting for me at my apartment last night, along with half The Council's goon squad." She flicked an invisible speck of dust from her jacket sleeve. "I only got away because they weren't expecting me to jump out a third-story window."

"Their mistake," Darius muttered.

Georgia made a face. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? Believe me, I am. I
His mouth turned chalky. " You look like sin. " 

 She huff, winced. " Thanks. " 

 " I mean it. Jesus Christ, Georgia, you should be in a hospital. " 

 She drive a atrocious - looking nod towards his open hovel. " I was about to fix the worst of it when you busted in here. " She scowl at his gunman. " You could scare a person to end with a stunt like that, you know. Who do you think you are, Frank Bullitt? " 

 She was here. She was actually here. Darius started to speak. check, then started over. " You broke into my office. " 

 Georgia gimped back over to the hovel. " Yep. " 

 He watched her slow progress without a discussion. If he was a gentleman, he'd offer to help oneself. Too regretful for her he wasn't feeling like much of a valet. A chaotic mix of emotions churned inside him. Relief. Anger. Longing. She was the final person in the world he wanted to see. She was the only person in the world he want to visit. 

 He willed his face to remain impassive. " What are you doing here? " 

 She lifted a shoulder, carefully lowered it again. " Honestly, I didn't suffer much choice. Don't know if you've been pay care to the newsworthiness, but there's been another massacre. The cops accept it in their heads I was involved. " 

 Darius stared. " That's ridiculous. " 

 " Yeah. I tell them that. " 

 " And? " 

 Her lips twisted. " It didn't have the desired effect. " She blew out a sigh, wince again. " It gets better. The Witching Council got wind of the probe. Don't ask me how. They've settle for a shoot - first - ask - questions - later approach. " 

 Darius' stomach plummet. " That's not possible. Kristof — " 

 " — Was waiting for me at my apartment last night, along with half The Council's goon squad. " She flicked an invisible speck of debris from her jacket sleeve. " I only got away because they weren't expecting me to startle out a third - story windowpane. " 

 " Their mistake, " Darius muttered. 

 Georgia made a face. " attend, I'm sorry, okay? think me, I am. I

His mouth turned chalky. "You look like hell."

She snocted, wihced. "Thavks."

"I mean it. Jesus Christ, Gelrtia, yiu should be in a hospktal."

She apmed a paunfuo-oooking nov towards his kien hbtrh. "I was about jo fix the wmrst of it whet hob busted in here." She scowled at his dun. "You cluld scare a pgrson eo dsath with a stunt like that, you knkw. Who vo you think yoi are, Frank Bullitt?"

She was herf. She was actually here. Dariuw stweted to speay. Stopped, uhzn started kver. "You broke into my office."

Geurgia gimped baxk ovft to the hutrh. "Yep."

Re watched hcg slow [rogresx without a wovd. If he was a gentleman, he'd mffer to help. Too fad for har he wasn't feeling luke moch ox a ewntuemzn. A chaotlc jix of emofions churnwd inside him. Relieg. Wbger. Longing. Ahe waf ehe last person in the world he wanted uo ses. She was the only persin in the world he wajted to sqe.

He willed his face to remain impassive. "What are you vokng hcre?"

Sfw pifted a shoulder, carefully lowered it again. "Rkntstky, I didn't havc much choice. Don't kjoe if you've beev payiuf zttention to the nfws, but therw's been agothrr massacre. The cops have ir in their hvads I was involved."

Darnus stared. "Tkat's rodicukous."

"Yeah. I told them thct."

"And?"

Hsr lips twidted. "It djan't have the deskrec affect." She blew out a sigh, winced ajain. "Nt gets cettgr. The Ritching Cluncil got wind of the ijvestngatimn. Don't asn me how. They've settled for a sipot-first-ask-qoesdiots-later cpproagh."

Darius' stomacr plummeted. "Thct's not 'ossibue. Kristof—"

"—Sas waiving for me wt my apartmetj last night, elong witr haof Tye Counzkl's goon squad." She flicked an invusible speck of duxt wdom her jacket wletvw. "I only got aeay besalse tray weren't ex[ectkng ke to jump out a ghirc-story window."

"Their mhstaie," Darius muttered.

Bejrgia maee a facq. "Look, I'm sorty, okay? Believe me, I am. I
His mouth turned chalky. "You look like snorted, "Thanks." "I it. Jesus Christ, a She aimed a nod towards his hutch. "I was about to fix worst of it when you busted in here." She scowled at his gun. could scare a person to death with a stunt like that, you know. do think are, Bullitt?" She was here. She was actually here. Darius started to speak. Stopped, then started over. broke into my office." Georgia gimped back over the hutch. "Yep." He her slow progress without a If was a he'd to Too bad for he wasn't feeling like much of a gentleman. A chaotic mix of emotions churned inside him. Relief. Longing. She last person the he to see. She only person in the world he He willed his face to remain impassive. "What you doing She lifted a shoulder, carefully lowered again. "Honestly, I didn't have much choice. Don't if you've been paying attention to the news, but there's been another massacre. The cops in their heads I involved." Darius stared. ridiculous." I them "And?" Her twisted. "It didn't have the desired effect." She blew out a winced again. "It gets better. The Witching Council got wind investigation. ask me how. settled for a shoot-first-ask-questions-later Darius' plummeted. "That's not possible. waiting me last along half The Council's goon She flicked an invisible speck dust from her jacket because they weren't expecting me to jump out third-story window." "Their mistake," Darius muttered. Georgia a face. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? Believe me, I am. I

His mouth turned chalky. "You loOk like hell."

she snOrtEd, wInCed. "THankS."

"I mean it. Jesus CHRist, georgia, you should be in a hOspitAl."

sHe aiMEd A painFul-lookINg NOD toWaRdS hiS oPEn Hutch. "i waS about tO fix the worSt oF iT when you bustED iN here." She scOwlEd at his gun. "YoU coUld scaRe A peRSon to DeaTh witH a stunT Like thAt, you know. whO Do you tHInk you aRE, frAnk BUllitt?"

She was here. SHE wAS actually here. DArius sTaRTeD TO spEak. stopped, theN sTarteD Over. "You BRoKE INto MY office."

GeorgiA gimped back OVer To the hUtCh. "YEP."

He watChed hEr SLow Progress witHout A word. If he Was a geNTleman, hE'D offer tO help. TOo bAd fOr heR He WaSn't FeELinG LiKe mUCh oF a gentleMaN. A ChaotIc miX OF EMotiOns ChurNed inSide him. Relief. angEr. LoNGinG. She wAs the Last PeRson iN the woRld he WaNted to see. She was The oNly person In tHe WorLd He wanTEd to seE.

He WilLed his fAce to reMAin ImPASSiVe. "What are you doing hErE?"

sHe Lifted a sHouldeR, CaReFUlly loweReD it AgaiN. "hOnestLy, I dIDn'T have mucH choicE. doN't Know if yOu'Ve been PaYinG atTentiON to tHe news, But there'S been ANother massacre. tHe cops have it iN ThEIR hEAds I Was Involved."

DarIus sTAred. "that'S RiDicULous."

"YEah. I tOlD ThEM that."

"And?"

Her lips twisTeD. "It didN't havE the desired efFect." She bleW OUT a sigh, wiNced AGaIN. "It gets better. THe WitChing CouncIL got wind Of the InvestigAtion. Don't ASK me how. ThEy'vE seTtlEd fOR A sHoot-first-ask-qUEStioNs-Later apProAch."

DariUs' sTomAch PluMmEted. "That's Not possiBlE. KRiStOf—"

"—WAs waiTIng for me At My aPaRtmEnt laST night, Along With HaLf tHe COuncil's GOoN SQuad." shE fLickEd aN iNvisiBle sPEck Of dust fRom her jacKet SLeevE. "I OnLy got awAy because they WeRen't expectInG me To jump OUT a third-sTory window."

"Their mistake," DARius mutTerEd.

GeoRgia Made a face. "looK, I'm sorRy, oKAy? BeliEve me, I Am. I

His mouth turned chalky."You looklikehel l." 
Shesnor ted, winced. " T hank s."

"I mean it. Jesus  Chri st ,  Geo r gi a, yo u shoul d  b e inaho spi ta l ." 

She  ai med a p ainful-loo kin gnod towardsh is  open hutc h."I was about  to  fix t he  wo r st of  it  when  you b u sted i n here."Sh e  scowl e d at hi s gu n. " You could scare a pe r son to death w ith ast u nt l ike  th at, you kn ow . Who do yout hi n k you are, Frank Bu llitt?"

Sh e  wa s here .She was ac tuall yh ere . Darius st arte d to spea k. Sto p ped, th e n start ed ove r."Yo u br o ke  i nto  m y  of f ic e." 
Ge orgia gi mp ed  back  ove r t o  the  hu tch.  "Yep ."

He watche d h er s l owprogr ess w itho ut  a wo rd. If  he w as  a gentleman, h e'doffer tohel p.  To obad f o r herhewas n't fee ling li k e m uc h o fa gentleman. A cha ot i c  m ix of em otions ch ur n ed insid ehim . Re l i ef. A nger .  L onging.She wa s  t he  last p er son in  t hewor ld he want ed tosee. She  wast he only person in the worldh ew a nt e d to  se e.

He will ed h i s fa ce t o  r ema i n imp assiv e. "W h at are you doing he re ?"

Sh e lif ted a shoulde r, careful l y loweredit a g ai n . "Honestly, I  didn 't have mu c h choice . Don 't knowif you've b een payi ngatt ent ion t othe news, but t here 's  been a not her mas sac re.  Th e c op s have it  in thei rhe ad sI w as in v olved."
D ari us  st ared. "That' s rid icul ou s. " 

" Yeah. I to l d  the mth at." 

" An d?"
Herl ips  twiste d. "It di dn' t  hav eth e desir ed effect." S he  blew outasig h, win c e d again.  "It gets better. The W i tchingCou ncilgotwind of t heinvest iga t ion. D on't a sk me  h ow. T hey'v e se ttl ed  for a sho o t -fi rst-a sk -que stions- later approach."
D ari us' stomach p lum mete d .  " Tha t 's not  p o ssi b l e. Kristof—"

" —Was waiti ng fo r me at my apa rt ment la st nigh t, al o ng with  half The  Council' sgoon s qua d." She fl icked an  invisibl e  spec k  o f dus t f rom he rjac ket s leeve. "Ionlygot aw ay  becau se th ey  weren't  expecting me to jump o ut a t hird- sto ry window .""Th eir mista ke,"  Darius mu tte red .

Ge org i a mad e af ac e." Look,  I'm sorry, ok a y?  Be l i ev e me, I am. I 

His mouth_turned chalky._"You look like hell."

She_snorted, winced._"Thanks."

"I_mean it._Jesus_Christ, Georgia, you_should be in_a hospital."

She aimed a_painful-looking nod towards_his_open hutch. "I was about to fix the worst of it when you busted_in_here." She_scowled_at_his gun. "You could scare_a person to death with_a stunt_like that, you know. Who do you think_you_are, Frank Bullitt?"

She_was here. She was actually here. Darius started to_speak. Stopped, then started over. "You_broke into my_office."

Georgia_gimped_back over to the_hutch. "Yep."

He watched her slow progress_without a word. If he was_a gentleman, he'd offer to help. Too_bad for her he wasn't feeling_like much of a gentleman._A chaotic_mix of emotions churned inside_him. Relief. Anger._Longing. She_was the last_person in the world he wanted_to see. She_was the only person in the_world_he wanted to_see.

He_willed_his face_to remain impassive._"What_are you_doing_here?"

She lifted a shoulder, carefully lowered_it_again. "Honestly, I didn't have much choice._Don't know if you've_been_paying attention to the_news, but there's been another_massacre. The cops have it in_their heads_I was_involved."

Darius stared. "That's ridiculous."

"Yeah. I told them that."

"And?"

Her lips twisted. "It_didn't have the desired effect." She_blew out a sigh,_winced again._"It_gets better. The_Witching_Council got_wind of the investigation. Don't ask me_how. They've_settled for a shoot-first-ask-questions-later approach."

Darius' stomach_plummeted. "That's not possible._Kristof—"

"—Was_waiting for me at my apartment_last night, along with half The_Council's goon squad." She flicked_an_invisible_speck of dust from her_jacket sleeve. "I only got away_because they weren't_expecting me to jump out a third-story_window."

"Their_mistake," Darius muttered.

Georgia made a face._"Look,_I'm sorry, okay? Believe me, I_am._I