08/03/2026 21:27

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Jean-Claude's trick, and the thought was enough. I had people who were willing, now that I could say no to the ardeur until I chose, I didn't have to depend on the kindness of strangers. I reached for the big pulse in his neck and found torn, bloody meat. Because by then you've learned that what's on the outside doesn't tell you that much about what's on the inside.

I blinked at him, not sure what to say, but I leaned back enough so that I wasn't pressing a gun into his chest. This one was hard enough that blood flew in a thin arc. You engage in high-risk behavior, and it catches up with you, and payback's a bitch. Hot, so hot.