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Like she’d figured, his facial htened until his cheekbones stood out "How old were you?"

"Sixteen"

"They should be horse whipped"

"Too late They’re dead" Ah her, a cold wind that left an ache deep inside her chest

"Tell ed her other foot The strength of his hands felt like stability in a wavering world

"I lived there around a year or so The streets got rougher Money got harder to find, so Rock started dealing even though two gangs were fighting for the territory already One gang showed up at the apart to act nonchalant, despite the way her sto in her curled up into a tiny ball of pain She sed "I didn’t die--just got cut up a little" And raped

His gaze traced the scar down her face "So you were there when they killed your friends?" he asked softly

Finish the story; get it over with She jerked her head in a nod and stared at the red wine in her glass "Danny opened the door, and they shot hi the roo out the shouts, her screams Danny seemed to fly back He hit the floor, his eyes wide, ed to stand up He’d , told her she was his special girl "Rock had a gun on the kitchen table He shot once and… They had a ainsta seizure, and everything turned red as he hit the wall

Marcus pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her He did that a lot, didn’t he?

"You know, he’d buy me romance novels We were broke, but so

His gaze didn’t leave her face, a lifeline to keep her frorabbed a knife and tried--"

"You attacked theled voice

"They shot my Danny and Rock I was so un, actually" Her hand closed in a fist as if the wooden handle fit there She felt the nauseating horror when the blade had slid in to the bone His screaht her out of sleep soers and clasped her hand instead

"I didn’t kill him," she said, unsure even nohether she was relieved or disappointed

"Sugar, you ht have found that hard to live with…and they’d have killed you in turn"

"Probably They cut , the odd splitting down her cheek War the white flowers on the couch a garish red The pain--God, the pain Their laughter changing Calling her horrible na her… She heard herself whimper

"Shhh, Darlin’, shhh It’s over" Marcus’s voice His wonderful, masculine scent

She found a bit of air, used it, and found a bittrenches into his palhastly "When the cops busted in, I was… Well, at least they didn’t shootin"

His arhtened as if he could protect her Far too late for that Yet when he sighed and rested his cheek on top of her head, his concern washed her fear away like waves rolling over a sandy beach "I’m sorry, Gabi," he murmured "For you and for your friends"

"They were only in their early twenties Younger than I a stop The bitter sorrow never quite left her "Well, that’s the story"