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to strip poker. God, the woman really would say anything about sex. This very grown-­up Sassy was not at all like the girl he’d known back home.
    After a late room ser­vice lunch, he left the hotel a second time in search of clothes for her. A few blocks away, he hit what felt like a Vegas jackpot when he found a combination boutique and grocery store that was open. The clothing might not be Sassy’s style, but he managed to pick out what he assumed were the right sizes.
    It was half past six when he got back to the room. Vibrating with tension, Sassy met him at the door. “I checked my voice mails while you were out. Trey’s attorney called. They’re moving up the timetable for the trial. It all takes place right after New Year’s on January third. That’s just over a week from now.”
    This was very bad news. Unlike the U.S. courts, in Mexico defendants were considered guilty till proven innocent. And the judges were extremely engaged in the investigation of the crimes involved.
    Sassy paced the room with nervous energy. “Trey’s judge is expected to rule on the case immediately after the trial. We’re running out of time.”
    Bryan took a deep breath. He’d thought they would have at least another ­couple of months before the judge’s ruling. This added a whole new layer of urgency to finding answers for Trey. Bryan needed to be home, or at least on the North American continent, to help his friend.
    While he seriously doubted Elizabeth was alive, he knew voicing that thought here would be a mistake. Besides doing nothing to help Trey’s precarious situation, it would only ratchet up Sassy’s anxiety. He wasn’t sure how to help her right now. He wanted to hold her, but after the fiasco of last night, touching her seemed a recipe for disaster. Instead, he handed her the bag of clothes he’d just bought.
    She looked at the simple offering inside the plastic sack and gave him a wry grin. Beyond that she said nothing, which surprised him. He expected some sarcastic comment about his selections, but she slipped into the bathroom to change without a word.
    He was staring at the door and puzzling over her reaction when his cell phone rang. It was Marissa. The meeting was set to take place in a hotel across town where Sassy’s passport and cash would be delivered for their trip home. Risa had also arranged for a flight out of Mohamed Boudiaf International there in Constantine. How she had done it on Christmas Day, Bryan had no idea. But he didn’t ask. All he knew was that they were checking out tonight.
    Thank you, Baby Jesus.
    He explained the plan to Sassy though the bathroom door and began pulling his own belongings together and packing to leave. He shook his head, still surprised they’d made it through the past twenty-­four hours without fighting or sleeping together. Aside from feeling grumpy, grouchy, and horny, he was beyond grateful that temptation and Sassy would soon be out of his hair.
    When she reemerged moments later, she put her other, impossibly dirty clothes alongside his in a plastic bag. Nestling her belongings into the duffel bag beside his Dopp kit, she packed with him as if they’d been together for years. For some reason the idea of packing a bag together felt as intimate as kissing her, and he had no idea why. He stared at the white plastic bag a moment before zipping the duffel, then straightened and caught her staring at him.
    “We’re just like an old married ­couple, aren’t we?” she muttered, echoing his thoughts so completely that he wondered if he’d spoken aloud a moment.
    “As if,” he snorted. “Let’s get out of here, Harriet.”
    She winked and grinned for a moment. He had the urge to lean in and kiss the dimple at the edge of her smile, or better yet, push her to the mattress and finish what they’d started yesterday. But he managed to get a grip on himself. That was not in the cards, and he was moments away from making it out of this hotel room with most