Page 93 of Crank (Crank 1)

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And accepted Adam’s tattoo,

the tiny heart a very big

Stashed under your skin.

symbol, forever bonding us,

his ink in my flesh.

It Throbbed the Next Day

I Still Wasn’t Down When We Landed

Tightened Airport Security

No one greeted me

on the far side of the jetway,

no relatives, no friends,

only slot machines.

Tugging those two

carry-ons, upper thigh

itching like crazy beneath

a tight pair of jeans.

I wandered toward

the escalators, a 50-foot-long

mural of blue Lake Tahoe

flanking me on my left.

8-foot-tall showgirls

in purple boas (and not

much else) smiling

at me from the right.

Kristina drawn left,

Bree to the right,

the monster started to

retreat just in time.

I Saw Them

before they saw me—

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