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Back Blood in the Water
Chapters (82)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. FIFTY
  54. FIFTY-ONE
  55. FIFTY-TWO
  56. FIFTY-THREE
  57. FIFTY-FOUR
  58. FIFTY-FIVE
  59. FIFTY-SIX
  60. FIFTY-SEVEN
  61. FIFTY-EIGHT
  62. FIFTY-NINE
  63. SIXTY
  64. SIXTY-ONE
  65. SIXTY-TWO
  66. SIXTY-THREE
  67. SIXTY-FOUR
  68. SIXTY-FIVE
  69. SIXTY-SIX
  70. SIXTY-SEVEN
  71. SIXTY-EIGHT
  72. SIXTY-NINE
  73. SEVENTY
  74. SEVENTY-ONE
  75. SEVENTY-TWO
  76. SEVENTY-THREE
  77. SEVENTY-FOUR
  78. SEVENTY-FIVE
  79. SEVENTY-SIX
  80. Praise for Blood in the Water
  81. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  82. Newsletter Sign-up

“I wasn’t thinking,” he said. “I was just worried that you were really pissed at me, and I couldn’t stand it.”

“I am really pissed at you. And trust me, I’ll figure out a way to punish you.” She grabbed him and kissed him again, sliding her hand down his tight stomach, over the front of his pants. He let out a low, guttural groan. “I suppose you earned some points, though, by taking the day off to spend it with me.”

“I don’t take that lightly,” he said seriously. “I don’t like not showing up. This is the first time I’ve ever done this.”

“I know,” she said. “What did you tell them?”

“Nothing yet.” He rolled his eyes. “I couldn’t think of anything. The union office has been calling me all morning, but I haven’t picked up. I’ll come up with something. They can’t be too mad; I’m the only one on my crew who hasn’t missed a day ever.”

“So why’d you agree to play hooky today?”

“I don’t know. You just sounded … sad. I didn’t want you to feel sad, and I figured I might be able to cheer you up.”

“Lucky me,” Diamond said. “I get someone to play with for the day. Can we go to your apartment?”

“My apartment is a shithole.”

“Your apartment is fine,” she assured him. “Besides, I’d rather be in a shithole with you than a palace with someone else.” She stuck out her lower lip. “Please?” She didn’t need to plead, she knew. She could tell that her fingers had already been persuasive.

“I got a better idea,” he said. “How about the Holiday Inn?”

She laughed. “They don’t rent rooms by the hour, Buddy,” she teased.

“I’m not talkin’ about an hour,” he said. “Let’s get lost for a while. Stay the night. Shut out the rest of the world and pretend we’re really together, for real, out in the open. We could treat it like a mini-vacation.”

She smiled at him, even as her teeth began to chatter. “I don’t care where we go, as long as we’re together.”

“OK,” he said. “I’ll go get the room. I’ll wait for you by the elevators. Wait a couple minutes and then meet me there.” He leaned in and kissed her quickly, then headed back out to the street.