“Im going to grab a cheeseburger, i told patch. Want anything? Nothing on the menu. I smiled. Why, patch, are you flirting with me?”

Hate to disappoint, but no feathers. I came to earth stripped naked.

I should probably confess that ice cream is my favorite food, and i eat it every night. When i go grocery shopping, i try to buy a new flavor, rather than reverting back to a favorite flavor. I’m on a mission to taste every flavor of ice cream out there!

That woman.” vee hissed, “i’m making the sign of the cross right now.

You picked the seats you did for a reason, right? Familiarity. Too bad the best sleuths avoid familiarity. It dulls the investigative instinct.

You’re a liar!” he turned around, his black eyes snapping. “i’m also a thief, a gambler, a cheat, and a murdered. But this happens to be one of the rare times when i’m telling the truth. Go home. Consider yourself lucky. You’ve got a chance to start fresh. Not everyone can say the same.

You’re mine, angel,” he murmured, brushing the words across my jawbone as i arched my neck higher, inviting him to kiss everywhere. “you have me forever.

Arrogance can be deadly.

Chauncey seethed at the outrageous insult. “and your father?” he demanded, extending the sword. He didn’t yet know all his vassals, but he was learning. He would brand the family name of this boy to memory.

Who wants to kill you? The guy asked. He was still looking over his shoulder, but his expression was puzzled. Theres nobody there, the girlfriend told me. Youre making them think they cant see you, arent you? I said to patch, awed by his power even as i despised his use of it.

Im not going anywhere near a motel with you.

Stay with me tonight. Let me hold you even if that’s all it is. Let me keep you safe.

You keep life on a short leash. Whats that supposed to mean? Youre scared of what you cant control.

You’re crazy. You’re impossible.’ ‘i’m crazy?’ he tipped my chin up and planted a quick, rough kiss on my mouth. ‘and i must be crazy for putting up with it.

Humans are vulnerable, because theyre capable of being hurt.

Nope. Thats my line. This is my boyfriends house, which makes that my line,exclusively.Where is he?” nora (p. 287)

Nora: this is crazy. Patch: i’m crazy. About you.