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“I don’t know,” Claire said She felt helpless, and she knew if she let herself feel anything, she’d be just as angry as Shane looked sitting in that other cruiser He seery, she would also have to let in everything else, all the other emotions that bubbled and threatened in- side her And if she did that, she would collapse, like Eve was doing

Better not to feel anything right now Better to stay strong

The driver’s- side door opened, and Hannah Moses got behind the wheel of the police car She settled in and buckled her safety belt in one sot in on the other side— new, Claire thought Someone she didn’t know

But she did recognize the pin he wore on the collar of his uniforold

Syht Foundation

Eve lunged forward and grabbed the ertips into it as Hannah started the engine of the cruiser “What the hell are you doing, Hannah?” she de Michael?”

“He’s safe,” Hannah said “Nothing will happen to him Trust me, Eve “ “Yeah, you knohat? Bite me I don’t trust you You just stabbed us all in the back, you horrible bi—”

Claire grabbed Eve and dragged her away, changing the word to a protesting yelp “Stop,” she whispered fiercely in her best friend’s ear “You’re not going to accory at us Just wait Be quiet and wait”

“Easy for you to say,” Eve hissed “Shane’s co with us at least Michael— we don’t even knohere they’re taking him!”

She had a point Claire really hated to ad they could acco the lady who held the keys to their handcuffs probably wasn’t the best strategy

“We’re not giving up,” she told Eve “We’re justbiding our time”

“And what do you think they’re going to do to hi at the ain “Yo, Han- nah! How does it feel to stab your friends in the back? Hope you didn’t get blood all over your neatly pressed uniform!”

The deputy turned around and gave her a cold, hard stare “Sit quietly,” he said “If you don’t, I’ll shock you until you do”

“With what, your breath? Ever heard of flossing, Deputy Dimwit?”

“Eve,” Hannah said It was a warning, a flat and naked one, and it was reinforced by the deputy— whose breath, in all fairness, did kind of reek— taking out a Taser

Although Eve was still si her arms over her chest Then she kicked his seat

Didn’t do any good, because the seat was reinforced with a steel plate, but she probably felt better for doing it

“Hey,” Claire said, and reached her hand out toward Eve Eve hesitated, then took it and gripped hard “It’ll be okay He’ll be okay”

Eve didn’t say anything She was probably thinking, You don’t know that, and she would have been right Claire didn’t know that