Zach Owens.202Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtv0JY1OGuN
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The golden boy of Clear Springs in every sense. His blond hair was still cropped short, harkening back to his days as a Marine, and his body was obviously well taken care of. This wasn’t a man who’d let his years working in a sleepy little town turn him soft.202Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3IW52EEQo
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While Zach took her in, she conducted her own perusal. She’d never met him personally, but she knew him by reputation and pieces of information stolen via eavesdropping. He’d gone off to war a boy and come back a man with shadows in his eyes. Or maybe she was just seeing him with rose-tinted glasses, the tragic figure representing everything she’d never have. Acceptance. Loyalty. The love of the people here.202Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRxGXsFOoX
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Something like jealousy curled through her stomach. It was silly and childish, and she was better than that, but it was hard not to resent someone who so obviously fit. Eden had done a bit of traveling since she’d turned eighteen and run as far and fast as she could from her mother, but she’d never found a place that was well and truly hers.202Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8o4lTIvTNx
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He caught sight of her and narrowed his eyes. “Can I help you?”202Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBILnGkmkT
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Being pinned in place by those blue eyes made her second-guess the intelligence of her plan yet again. It didn’t matter. He needed her help, even if he didn’t know it yet. She stepped forward. “I’m here about the body.”202Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYDeXwY7ru
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His shoulders dipped a quarter of an inch before rising again, the tell so slight, she wouldn’t have noticed if her business didn’t rely on seeing what other people missed. He frowned. “How the hell did you hear about it already? It’s only been a few hours.”202Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48kLGnnTsb
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And here’s the kicker. She pulled out her phone and brought up her e-mail. “This was sent to me yesterday afternoon.” Zach cursed, and she didn’t blame him. The photo showed the dead girl, her hand outstretched as if begging for help. As if begging Eden for help.202Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJX3wbeNJi0
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“Who sent this to you?”202Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooMUZE72U7
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“I don’t know.” When she tried to respond to the e-mail, it had bounced. Eden had thought it was some sort of prank, but she’d done a search through the FBI data banks on Clear Springs just in case . . . and discovered that a body perfectly matching the one in the photo was currently in the Augusta morgue.202Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FsbLqYecW
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A body that shared at least superficial similarities with Eden.202Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNj4sxgxFD
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He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. “As much as I’m grateful for the heads-up about a potential leak, who are you and why would this picture be sent to you?”202Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXd8XjnQDj
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This was it. The moment of truth. She straightened and did her best not to appear as nervous as she felt. “I’m here because I recognize that tattoo on her back.” She held out her hand, proud of herself when it didn’t shake. “I’m Eden Collins, and you’ve got bigger problems than you realize.” 202Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8P0oA5mOd
202Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5HT3Ut02j
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