How’d you get to be so good at this?””I had a good teacher.””Better not have been Myrnin or I’ll have to kick his predatory ass.””I mean you, dummy.””Oh.

He’s not doing anything he shouldn’t be doing, right?” “Like what?””Like hitting on you.””Ew. No, of course not. He doesn’t see me that way.” Michael shook his head and went back to his coffee.”What? You...

They did seem pretty serious about their mayhem.

In real life, you don’t get a reset, and you don’t get extra lives, and I got the crap pounded out of me.

Oh, come on, just this once,” Eve said. “Protects your neck. As in your arteries and veins?That’s kind of crucial, right?””Thanks for the thought, but it doesn’t go with my shoes.””You’re seriously going to worry...

Little bit,” she said.

I’m so glad you’re okay.””So, how do we celebrate my okayness? It’s my day off. Let’s go crazy. Glow-in-the-dark bowling?””No””I’ll let you use the kiddie ball.””Shut up. I do NOT need the kiddie ball.””The way...

He lives alone and makes his bed? Who does that?

Kind of is, actually.

If you ask me if I’m okay again, I’m going to smack myself in the face just to punish you.

Next time we commit crime, we’ll make sure to include him.

I’m going to have to give him shit for all this,’ Shane said, as he wandered around. ‘He lives alone and makes his bed? Who does that?”People who like things neat?”Its not natural.

Shane? Thank God, somebody sane. Well, sane-ish.

He was a nice guy, middle-aged, a little tired, like most doctors usually seemed to be, but he just nodded and said, “Let me take a look at him. Shane?””I’m not dropping my pants,” Shane...

„…And he doesn’t like you to call him Mr. McStabby, you know.””Have you ever seen him cutting up that meat? He is like an artist with slicing. And that knife is as long as my...

I think it’s interesting.

Hannah leaned against the wall. ‘Mind if I call shotgun?”Since you’re carrying one? Feel free.

Glad it was you and not me,” Shane said, and offered Myrin a hand up. “Any brain damage?””Since the bullet actually passed through his brain, then yes, idiot boy, there’s certainly brain damage,” Oliver said....

What’s her name? Claire, what’s her name?

He broke the kiss and leaned against her, breathing hard. “Good morning to you, too. Man, I just can’t stay mad when you do that.

See?” she heard Shane yell at the kitchen. “She doesn’t stomp around like a cattle stampede!””Bite me, Collins! No bacon for you, either!

You know,’ Shane said twenty minutes later, ‘I’d feel a whole lot better about the two of us if you didn’t think i was the go-to guy for breaking and entering.’She felt a flash of...

What, because I said she had a sweet little butt? You don’t think she does? Hard to believe, since you spend so much time staring at it.

Okay, no, I’m not, but right now let’s pretend I am.

Silver nitrate and water in a super soaker,” he told her. “My own invention. Ought to be good at twenty feet, kind of like wasp spray.”Oh. “You get me the nicest things.””Anybody can get jewelry....

I promise.”And she kissed him, and kissed him, and kissed him, while the sun came up and bathed Morganville in one last, shining day.

I don’t matter here, Shane. I feel like I just don’t matter. Stupid, right?””No,” he said. He sounded so gentle it broke her heart. “It’s how most people feel most of the time, Claire. You’ve...

You look like a Goth factory exploded all over you!” he called as she ran down the hall.”Love you, too, jackass!

Shane looked…pale. Pale and shaken and—how predictable was this?—pissed.

Claire, I-Look, my life is one long series of screw-ups and bad decisions, and I know that. I own that. But you…I just want you to be happy. And it cuts me when you’re not.””I’m...

More than your circulatory system?”Eve silently kicked off the stilettos and backed up.

Let’s say she’s a friend of the family.

I seriously am.

Pics or it didn’t happen.””Dude, little busy for pics. You know, throwing flame.

Welcome to Morganville.You’ll never want to leave.And even if you do…well, you can’t. Sorry about that.

She was staring at you.”What can I say? Irresistible.’ ‘Shane, it’s not funny. I just—you should be careful.’Always am.’ Which was an absolute lie. Shane’s eyes fixed on hers, and she felt a burst of...

Hey, Dark Princess? Here’s your crap. Also, bite me.

And then I heard the ring of metal on concrete, and I went cold, because one of them had found a piece of rebar lying around, and I knew with sudden certainty that these guys...

Just wanted to remind you that we’re out of milk again. And hot sauce.””Why are those two always out at the same time? Because those do not go together.””I suspect Shane. He’d put hot sauce...

Now defend what is ours, my partner.”He grinned … grinned! … and whirled to meet Myrnin in midleap as Myrnin attacked.

When I want to be lectured on strategy, I’ll consult someone who’s actually won battles,’ Amelie said. ‘Not one who ran away from them.”Snap,’ Eve said.’You know what they’re talking about?’ Shane asked.’Don’t need to...

Parents had some kind of sin radar, Claire thought. They always called when you were in the middle of something you just knew they’d consider wrong. Or at least risky.

You know what we call pedestrians in Morganville? Mobile bloodbanks.

I always thought he was sweet.

I wonder, sometimes, if your generation speaks English at all,” Amelie said.

Yeah, he only loves you for your mind,” Shane said…

I never did have much, so having it rough came with the territory. I was conditioned for it.

This is the biggest damn IPod I’ve ever seen,” Claire said, which made him choke on his beer. “Kidding. I have seen a jukebox before.

I’ll do it!””No, you won’t,” Shane and Michael said, at virtually the same time. Shane continued. “You’re barely on your feet, Claire. You don’t go anywhere, not without me.””And me,” Michael said.”Hell,” Eve sighed. “I...

I make it my business to know everything about silver. And I saw your notes. I study up on everything when it comes to your boss, anyway.” There was a flicker of jealousy about that,...