All familiar characters are Janet's.
I left Crux in Javier's capable hands. Tank stuck like an overgrown tick to me and the drive back to Rangeman was tense.
"You did what you had to so you can still look Stephanie in the eye," he said.
"She's my woman ... my responsibility. I should've handled this entirely on my own from start to finish."
"You neutralized the threat without doing something she can't stomach. If you blew his brains all over Marsilio's, she'd still love you, but her perception of you would've taken a hit."
"I arranged his death. It's the same thing."
"Not to a woman like her. This way she has some reasonable doubt to cling to. She can live with this even if you can't."
"This is only one of many things I'll live with," I said, pulling into the underground garage. "There aren't any alternatives."
"I know. Now go enjoy your 'wife' and daughter."
I cut my eyes to him.
"I heard what you said to Crux. You think of Stephanie as your wife."
She's that ... and a hell of a lot more to me.
