He loves me." "You sound surprised." "Nobody ever did. Not like this. It's easy to say, for some people. The words. But it's not just words with Roarke. He sees inside me, and it doesn't matter.

Alone in her shelter, she allowed herself tears. When her shelter cooled to the touch she called to Gull, “Coming out!” She eased her head out into the smoky air, looked over at Gull. She imaged they both looked like a couple of sweaty, parboiled turtles climbing out of their shells. “Hello, gorgeous.” She laughed. It hurt her throat, but she laughed. “Hey, handsome.

[First line] “The business of murder took time, patience, skill, and a tolerance for the monotonous.

The wounded recognized the wounded.

Love can really screw you up before you learn to live with it.

"It doesn't matter how long it takes." She thought of him, of them, the lifetime already shared. "It's how long it lasts."

I had the blood and fire rule when my boys were young. You know, unless it's blood or fire, don't bother me.