So, Azalee—” When he turned to her, she stared daggers back—almost as though she had read his mind. Can Chertzes do that? he wondered in a wild moment of panic.“What?” bit Azalee when he didn’t continue.Mighty Zeus, could he go five minutes without offending a woman?

A dark voice within warned him to stop, but Aaron brushed it off. He flashed Holden a patronizing smile. “All right, then. Why not here? I have no problem giving you a fair fight, considering our history.”Slowly Holden relaxed his arms. There was a dark glimpse of metal, and then he took quick aim with his right hand. The short, lonely barrel of a gun stared Aaron in the eye. Even in his surprised state, Aaron could see what he was up against. An innocuous-looking Remington 1911, its wood-grip base outdated in style, but its precision and reliability lauded throughout the years.“Considering our history,” Holden said through his teeth, “I have no interest in fair.

Forgiving someone only absolves you from holding them accountable. When that person has not truly met that accountability, it is a weakness on your end, Miss Rachael. To forgive when they are unrepentant only relieves you of that responsibility.

What truly captivated Rachael were her eyes—wide, deer-like, yet hauntingly sinister green with flecks of gold dancing in silent mirth.

She swung around, her hair flying about her like wildfire. Fire. The fireplace.She reached in with all the power Todd had taught her ti exercise and grasped as much as she could. She imagined gasoline spilling onto the logs, leaving trails of burning kerosene around the room. In her mind bright orange and red exploded in dazzling sparks. The oxygen seemed to thicken and swell around her.Then the entire room was alight with flame.

She swung around, her hair flying about her like wildfire. Fire. The fireplace.She reached in with all the power Todd had taught her to exercise and grasped as much as she could. She imagined gasoline spilling onto the logs, leaving trails of burning kerosene around the room. In her mind bright orange and red exploded in dazzling sparks. The oxygen seemed to thicken and swell around her.Then the entire room was alight with flame.