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After the tests were collected, Caret the tension out of it He strolled out to the parking lot with the rest of his class tires stopped hi in confusion when the old pickup truck pulled into the parking lot

"Isn’t that Nicholas?"

Cared as Lisa spoke behind hi around in a rush He looked in Car to himself as he approached "Carmine, I need to talk to you about Haven She--"

He didn’t have ti Nicholas’s head snapped to the side when the fist connected Staggering backward, Nicholas glared at hio psycho if I carabbed Nicholas’s shirt "When did you talk to her?"

Nicholas pried his hands off, shoving Caro when she called"What do you --she called my phone," he said "What else would ‘she called ed at him, but Nicholas was prepared this ti Carasped at the unexpected shot Before he could recover, Nicholas struck him in the nose Carh his face, blood flowing instantly Soet his wits about him, and he turned to see that a crowd had formed

Car blood all over hirabbed the botto to stop the bleeding

"You know, you’d think you’d show soratitude," Nicholas said "I didn’t have to co your time"

"Maybe I am, but I came here because Haven asked me to She didn’t have anyone else, and she needed you to co, you’d rather fight for no reason"

"Why did she ask you to get "

Carmine tensed "How do you know?"

"I don’t know I heard a doorbell"

Carmine pushed past Nicholas and sprinted for the car His father was leaving town, so no one should have been at the house He sped through the streets of Durante, trying to figure out who it could be Salvatore? Had La Cosa Nostra coned the drivehen he arrived ho into the path, but there weren’t any cars in the yard, the house as quiet as he’d left it hours before

Parking near the porch, Car any red flags He unlocked the door and disabled the alar cold when he saw the phone lying on the floor in the foyer Glancing around suspiciously, he tried to remain calm as he made his way upstairs He didn’t find Haven on the third floor, so he slipped into his bedrooun from the top of his closet He had hidden it there before he dropped the Mazda off to be fixed, not wanting to carry it in his brother’s car After checking to make sure it was loaded, he slipped the pistol into his waistband and went back down to the first floor

His footsteps echoed in the house as he headed toward the kitchen, stopping in the doorway Haven stood behind the island, her ar pin Car froht have found it a "Are you okay, tesoro?"

She nodded "Are you?"

"Yeah, ouldn’t I be?"

She blinked a few tiaze at hi that?"

"Yes, but your nose"

Carotten about his injury "Had a little scuffle with Nicholas"

She gasped "You didn’t hurt hied, not wanting to admit that "Why did you call him?"

"Jen was here Dr DeMarco told me to call you You didn’t answer, and she was upset I wouldn’t open the door, so I called him"

His phone hadn’t worked since he had thrown it at his car "So, did Jen give up?"

"I don’t know She threatened me and said--"

"She threatened you?"

"Yeah, but she left, and--"

"What the fuck did she want?"

"I don’t know I looked outside and--"

Her words faltered as the roar of an engine approached Car up out front "It’s Nicholas"

Nicholas headed for the house as Car cool?" Nicholas asked, stopping a few feet away