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.” The words spill out of him, slipping off his tongue.Keely is able to pull her arm away from him now with little effort.She opens her mouth, then closes it.Tries again.“Why?” She recalls a conversation with Nick.One where he had said the Hierarchy would do whatever it took to keep her alive.Why would they want to kill her now?“Your dad wants you alive.Needs you alive for some reason.”That’s right.Back when they thought her father was trying to kill her, he had told her they would keep her safe.So now that he wants her alive… Well, apparently the opposite is true.“I just can’t win.One way or the other, someone is going to kill me.”“It may not be that bad.They probably don’t know yet.I don’t see how they can know.Not if we don’t tell them.And if they were to find out, they may just want to reassign me.But I am your Guardian.That doesn’t change for me.And if they were to do anything drastic, I’d be there.When I took my Oath, there wasn’t a declaration of who I was guarding you from.I will do whatever I can to protect you, Keely.” He is standing so close to her now.She looks up at his pleading eyes.“And besides, like I said, if they don’t find out, then there’s nothing to worry about.But no one else can know about this.Don’t tell anybody.”“You’re still not doing what you’re supposed to do.If they find out later, you could lose your job?”“You’re worried about my job?” He laughs.“They won’t find out.”“But if they did?”“They won’t.”“Nick! Just answer the damn question.”“I might not be assigned again.But they won’t find out if we don’t tell them.It’s all right.We have bigger things to worry about right now.Like who is betraying us.”Yes, there is that.Though Keely wants to argue more, she is almost glad she is sucked back into figuring out who the traitor is.Lila is surely out.She wouldn’t betray her brother.At least, Keely doesn’t think so.But she doesn’t think the others would either.Maybe Nick is wrong.Maybe there isn’t a traitor.Maybe Apophis is just that good.He knew where she lived.If he knew her class schedule, which wouldn’t be hard to get, then he would know there is only one bathroom near Mr.Giordano’s class.Mr.Giordano.Keely had forgotten about him.Could he be the one?“Who do you think it is?” she asks.“I don’t know.I want to believe my friends wouldn’t do something like this.I want to believe that they are better people than that, but the evidence is there.”“What about Mr.Giordano?”“It’s possible.” Nick moves back to the couch.Sits with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together.“He’s a good man.At least, that is how I’ve always perceived him.He’s been like a mentor to me.He was my teacher.He taught me most of what I know.It’s hard to believe he would do this.”“Is it any easier to believe that Bryon or Dustin would?”He takes her hand as she moves in front of him.Keely is taken aback by the casual way he does this.Like it is second nature to him.Like he does it all the time.She stares at his bowed head.Her own head confused.For so long she has been afraid of men.Scared to let them touch her.Really, she was frightened to allow anyone to get that close.Now here is this boy, touching her so delicately.She may very well die at any moment.Someone may try to kill her—again.In spite of that, or maybe because of that, Keely finds she is no longer afraid.Right at this moment, nothing scares her.Not the fact that she is on the top of everyone’s hit list.Not her father.Not her brothers.And especially not this incredible boy holding her hand.Something in this gesture stirs lost emotions inside of her.Add that to the many things he has done for her or the countless times he’s saved her.This boy is willing to put himself and his job that is more than a job, more than a family business, on the line for her.“No.Not easier,” Nick says.He looks up and is caught off guard by the expression on Keely’s face.He has watched her for a long time and that is a look he has never seen her wear before.“Keely? Are you-”But Nick doesn’t get a chance to ask his question.Keely crushes herself into him.Her body against his body.Her mouth against his mouth.Her hands are on his neck, sliding into his hair.Nick hesitates for only a moment.Just long enough to remind himself there is no more of the Leech Demon in her.This is the action of Keely herself.He kisses her back.His hands lock into the thick waves of her hair.For a moment, they both forget.There is only each other.It is over too quickly.The buzzing of Keely’s cell phone causes them to pull away.Keely’s lips tingle as she pries the phone from her pocket and checks the caller I.D.“It’s my mom’s number.” She pushes the speaker button and holds it between them.“Hello?”“Keely? Oh thank God.Thank God you’re all right.”Keely’s hand shakes.“Mom?”“I’m here, baby.I haven’t been given a lot of time.I was told I have to give you a message.You’re supposed to go to Pandora this Friday.”Nick shakes his head.Drops his eyes.He can’t look at the confusion and hope on Keely’s face.“What time does he want me there?”Nick’s head jerks back up to look at her.She can’t possibly be considering actually going.After a moment’s hesitation, Keely’s mother replies dryly, “He says eight O’clock.He says don’t be late.”“I won’t be late, Mom.I promise.How is Daddy? Is he o.k.?”“He’s fine.He’s right here.”Keely closes her eyes, relieved.“Can I talk to him?”After a long moment, as Keely is beginning to think her mom lied, when she is losing hope that her dad is really all right, he speaks softly into the phone.“Keels? Are you there, Honey? How are you holding up?”“I’m o.k.Daddy.It’s so good to hear your voice [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]