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"It’s fine," Carmine said "You’re not needed here"

"Carmine," Haven scolded as she stepped past him Her eyes darted around as she stepped off the porch and loosely wrapped her ar "Thank you Not many people would’ve done that forher back "Ah, no big deal," he said, but it was a big deal Car in his nose counteracted any guilt "So, crisis averted and all that jazz?"

"It was Jen," Carmine said "My father must’ve kicked her to the curb You kno scorned bitches are"

"I don’t think--"

"She alas shady," Nicholas said "I never understood why he’d stoop that low Even I wouldn’t touch her"

"Bullshit," Carmine said "You slept with her"

"No, I didn’t"

"Yes, you did We were at the hospital last year, and I dared you to do it"

"Are you forgetting you tried to kill me that weekend? I never had a chance to try!"

"I didn’t try to kill you If I wanted to kill you, I’d kill you I only snapped because you stabbed lared at hi Carht"

He raised his eyebrows "Excuse ht I shouldn’t have said what I said, and I’m sorry about that, but you screwed up too, Cared he had wronged hiuard "Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have gotten with your sister I’m so--uh, shit, whatever"

Haven eyed the two of them in shock "Wow, are you--?"

"Anyway" Car deal out of it "Everything’s fine Haven could’ve handled it She had the rolling pin ready to whoop so, and Carrab it off the floor He answered it as he stepped out onto the porch "Hello?"

"Carmine?" Vincent’s voice cracked a bit "Can you hear me?"

"Uh, yeah"

"So, I have a joke for you," Nicholas said, turning to Haven Car about the airport, but the reception greorse and Nicholas’s voice drowned him out "What’s black, white, and red all over?"

"I don’t know," Haven said "What?"

A loud bang rang out in the distance Car down to pick it up, when a piercing screah the air The hair on Carmine’s arms bristled as he spun around in ti onto his white shirt Clutching his chest, he opened his mouth to speak, but no sound caround within a ain, so loudly Car felt like it happened in slow motion He ju shattered the air He knocked her to the ground behind the car, his body weight forcing the air fro body there as she struggled to breathe "I’ back I need you to get in the da out Car the car "Christ, Haven, you need to fucking listen to me I need you to do this, so can you?"

Her voice shook as hard as her body "I think so"

Caronna be fine"

Yet another gunshot cut through the stifling air He flinched at the sound and took a deep breath They were taunting them, he realized Whoever it was could have easily killed the, and Haven’s eyes widened as she clutched him "Wait!"

"Christ, we don’t have tiht in her throat and escaped as a sob The sound of it burned, like she had taken a knife and plunged it straight into his chest, twisting it

"Don’t act like on’t see each other again in thirty seconds," he said, grabbing his gun froodda in particular, firing off rounds in the direction the shots had co to the driver’s side, he cursed when he tripped over Nicholas Shaht to hold hiether for Haven’s sake

Bullets whizzed by him as he ducked inside the car Haven curled into a ball in the passenger seat, sobbing He fuun down between the the gas to get away from the house He reached over and brushed Haven’s hair aside to get a good look at her as he flen the driveway "Are you okay, tesoro? Talk to me, please"

She flinched when he touched her "Nicholas! We can’t leave Nicholas!"

"We have to," Carmine said "It’s too late for him"

She shook her head hysterically "But he was just helping!"

"I know, hu the car onto the main road He wasn’t sure what else to say "I know"

He tried to focus on the road, but soht his eye in the rearview lanced behind the seatbelt," he said She froze for a split second before snapping it on Car to comfort her, but he wasn’t sure those words even existed The vehicle rapidly approached as gunshots cut through the air again, bullets hitting the back of the car The right rear tire blew out as it was struck, the car jolting, but Cared to keep it on the road A moainst the highway drowning out the sound of gunfire Sparks flew, and Carmine’s panic deepened when he realized they couldn’t outrun the wheel to brace hi in her eyes