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"This started before yesterday, and you know it! You should’ve been watching her!"

"I know I’m sorry"

"You should be" Haven started to slip away, but before sleep took her, the ive you what you want for her, but I’m not happy about this At all"

Haven awoke later, still on the concrete floor Every inch of her ached, and she griled to sit up A throat cleared nearby, the stranger once again standing in the basement with her "How do you feel?"

She wrapped her arms protectively around herself as he moved toward her "Okay"

His voice was calm but firm "The truth"

"Sore," she reluctantly admitted "My head hurts"

"I’m not surprised" He knelt down and reached toward her, theto hit you, child"

He felt her forehead and grasped her chin, surveying her face "Do you knoho I a about hiht’ve seen him from a distance before, one of the visitors she’d been kept away frohout the years "I’otten medical attention before, even for the severest of problems

"Yes, I’m a doctor," he said, "but I’m also an associate of the Antonellis I arrived after you wentYou suffered a minor concussion, and you’re dehydrated, but there’s no pere that I can see You’re lucky you were found You could’ve died out there"

A sinking feeling settled into the pit of Haven’s sto she would have It had to be better than being killed at the hands of a monster

Dr DeMarco looked at his watch "Do you think you can walk? We should leave soon"

"We?"

"Yes, you’re going to be staying withas her pain intensified "I can’t leave ht about that before you ran away"

She tried to explain, her words sluggish "They were going to kill me I didn’t have a choice"

"You always have a choice, child," he said "In fact, you have one right now"

"You’re giving me a choice?"

"Of course I aed "Or you stay here, and I’ll leave without you But before you decide, tellto kill you What do you think they’ll do to you now?"

She stared at her dirt-caked feet "So I either go with you or I die? What kind of choice is that?"

"One I suppose you won’t like ," he said, "but it is a choice, nonetheless"

Tense silence brewed between thepunished for speaking out of turn, but she had nothing to lose What would he do, kill her?

"I never said I wanted you, but I’m a busy man I can use soretted the question ial I think this is illegal Isn’t it?"

Truthfully, she wasn’t sure

"I suppose it technically is, but--"

Before he could finish, shouts rang out above them in the house Haven flinched at the loud thu her eyes when she realized Michael was hurting herto wait around all night waiting for you If you don’t want my help, so be it Stay here and die"

The , "Why me?" She wanted to believe there was a point to it all, but she wasn’t sure anyht shake of the head "I wish I knew"

The soles of Haven’s feet burned as Dr DeMarco led her out of the base bitterly when her panicked eyes darted to his gun "I’ to shoot you, either"

"You’re not?"

"No," he said "I’ll shoot your o of her arm "Please don’t hurt her!"