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Noah seemed about to put his hands in his pockets and then didn’t Noah’s hands see fewer places than other people’s He eventually just let the as he looked at Gansey He said, "Declan’s here"

An i Gansey de lot," Noah said "He and Ronan --"

Not bothering to wait for the rest of the sentence, Gansey burst out into the black evening Scra, he skidded onto the parking lot just in ti was infinite

Froreen light of a buzzing streetlamp, Ronan had an unbreakable stance and an expression hard as granite There was no wavering in the line of the blow; he had accepted the consequences of wherever his fist landed long before he began the punch

Froic, an affection for research, and a trust fund the size of most state lotteries

Froos, a decade of obscure Irish music instrument lessons, and the ability to box like they meant it Niall Lynch had not been around very much, but when he had been, he had been an excellent teacher

"Ronan!" Gansey shouted, too late

Declan went down, but before Gansey even had tiain, fist s of profanity so varied and pointed that Gansey was amazed that the words alone didn’t slay Declan Arms windmilled Knees rabbed Declan’s suit coat and used it to throw him onto thecar!" snarled Declan, his lip bloody

The story of the Lynch family was this: Once upon a time, a man named Niall Lynch had three sons, one of whom loved his father more than the others Niall Lynch was handsome and charised froray BMW and beaten to death with a tire iron It was a Wednesday On Thursday, his son Ronan found his body in the driveway On Friday, their ain

On Saturday, the Lynch brothers found that their father’s death left the in the house -- their clothing, the furniture Their silent lionby housing Declan, the eldest, was meant to control the funds and their lives until his brothers reached eighteen

On Sunday, Ronan stole his deceased father’s car

On Monday, the Lynch brothers stopped being friends

Ripping Ronan froh that even Gansey felt it Ashley, her light hair more visible than the rest of her, blinked at him from inside the Volvo

Gansey took several strides across the lot "Ronan!"

Ronan didn’t even turn his head A grim smile, more skeleton than boy, was etched onto his ht, not for show, and it played in fast-forward Someone would be unconscious before Gansey had time to cry havoc, and he just didn’t have ti Ronan’s arers hooked inside Declan’sfroot Declan’s blow So wet misted his arm He was fairly certain it was spit, but it was possible it was blood He shouted a word he’d learned from his sister, Helen

Ronan had Declan by the knot of his burgundy tie, and Declan gripped the back of his brother’s skull with one white-knuckled hand Gansey ht as well have not been there With a neat flick of his wrist, Ronan smacked Declan’s head off the driver’s side door of the Volvo It made a sick, wet sound Declan’s hand fell away

Gansey seized the opportunity to propel Ronan about five feet away Jerking in his grip, Ronan jackrabbited his legs on the pave

"Quit it," Gansey panted "You’re ruining your face"

Ronan twisted, all led than any suit ought to look, started back toward the on his teain There was no way of telling what had set therade at school, an unexplained credit card bill Maybe just Ashley

Across the lot, the ed fro before the cops were called Where was Ada, "if you come back over here, I swear …"

With a jerk of his chin, Declan spit blood at the paveood "Fine He’s your dog, Gansey You leash hilionby I wash my hands of hiid underneath Gansey’s hand He wore his hatred like a cruel second skin

Declan said, "You’re such a piece of shit, Ronan If Dad saw --" and this ain Gansey claed him back

"Why are you even here?" Gansey asked Declan

"Ashley had to use the bathroom," Declan replied crisply "I should be able to stop where I like, don’t you think?"

The last time Gansey had been in the Nino’s co-ed bathroom, it had smelled like vomit and beer On one of the walls, a red Sharpie had scrawled the word BEEZLEBUB and Ronan’s nu to inflict Nino’s facilities on his girlfriend Gansey’s voice was short "I think you should just go This isn’t getting solved tonight"

Declan laughed, just once A big, careless laugh, full of round vowels He clearly found nothing about Ronan funny