Jen

“What is it?" When Kat's voice finally came into Hale's ear, it was cold and steady and even. All tease was gone. If she was angry at him for standing her up, she didn't show it. she just said, "Tell me what's going on."
"Party crashers," Hale whispered. He watched Macey watching him. "Five, and they brought toys."
"Guns?" Kat guessed.
"Big ones," Hale said.
"You know this is what you get for doing a favor for your mother."
"I know," Hale admitted.
"What are they after?" Kat asked.
"Hard to say," Hale said; again, he eyed the room.
"Who is that?" Macey asked.
"The reason I wasn't flirting with you,"Hale told her.”
― Ally Carter, Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story

“It is a little-known fact about covert operations that you will spend a lot of time with people you can’t really trust. They may be traitors and liars. We call them assets or informants. But mostly, in those days, I called him Zach.”
― Ally Carter, Only the Good Spy Young

“Tell me Zach.” I don’t know if it was the wind or the adrenaline, but I shivered. “And don’t lie to me.”
― Ally Carter, Out of Sight, Out of Time

“Sometime years before, I had dragged an old bean bag chair to that place. I watched Zach sink onto it, and then he pulled me down to lean against him. I felt his arms go around me, holding me tight.
I was safe.
I was warm.
I was home.”
― Ally Carter, United We Spy