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"I’onna melt your damn face off," he said with purpose

Oh dear baby Jesus, Tiff had tiulfed her

It was so much worse than the house

Tiff felt like her body would burst from the heat, like she was personally combustible

Then it slipped away like a bubble of heat popped

Tiff fell backward, gasping, her body on the icy and refreshingly chilled snow pack More of it fell on her face and instantly e flakes land So up

John was there, like an angel of retribution

The streetlalow behind hiiven way to night

Faded bruises marred every patch of his fair skin, but his eyes blazed healthy and alive out of his face

His gaze locked with hers and she whispered, "John" It was horribly weak and female; Tiff hated how she sounded but was conversely relieved for his presence

John turned his face away from hers, a deep flutter started in his jaw and he used that long reach of his and launched a strike at Carson’s jaw that rocked his head back, new blood joining the old

John juboard

Snow fell on John’s fists as they lifted and fell

Over and over

Tiff watched as they rose with blood and the snow covered the red hite

CHAPTER 19

Caleb

We ran, Jonesy in the lead and ca the snot out of I couldn’t tell but had a pretty daood clue who

Whoever was underneath Terran was a pulverized , Tiff sloalked to John as his flesh ainst a body that li a primo beat-down

"Fuck, Terran’s lost it," Jonesy said and went to move forward

I stopped him with a hand "No," I said simply

"He’ll kill him," Jonesy stated quietly, the voice of reason for once

Not My Proble Tiff

"I like a lesson having an opportunity to come full circle," Clyde affirmed off-handedly Bobbi moved forward, "I can’t I can’t let this happen"

Clyde grabbed Gale, holding her against hi, he was a zombie He would never hurt her, but in this moment, he was a vehicle of delayed justice

I saw it I knew it

"He does not deserve to live," Clyde added softly against her te Tiffany against that soulless excuse of humanity"

But it was Tiff that ended it

"John!" she yelled, her hands going to his back, his fists slick with blood She placed her palms on his hunched form and he turned instantly with his fists raised beside his chin in classic striking stance and I heard Clyde suck in a breath

Tiff took a step back

We all waited to see if John could dial it back, tame the beast of the most basiche would protect now stood before hih his body on an invisible sting of tension loosened, his personality and self-awareness colass

We watched it happen, thatover

Tiff took another step back fro down his center, the undershirt he must’ve thrown on froainst his core, the tag on the side sticking out It waved as a breeze caooseflesh rise on his skin, once hot, now running cold

"Tiffany," John said, cupping his hand andfor her to come to him And for the second ti in the middle of the snow that fell

John strode the two paces to her side, wrapping Tiff against hie fra her neatly into the shadow of his body

She wept and he held her,words that sounded exactly like comfort to me

after

We alerted the hospital staff about Ha anted to do but even we couldn’t leave him out there for hypothermia’s embrace

John could

I saw it on his face, all sharp and hard angles His knuckles, though clean, were free of skin They were raw and shredded like a cheese grater had brutalized his flesh

Jonesy,area while Jade was getting the final touches I took another deep breath thinking about Jade She’d made me promise, I told myself I took another Let it out Repeat

Better

Jezebel walked out and I stood Jade wasn’t with her I looked around and she se

"Caleb?" she said with that brittle smile in place

My heart picked up its pace "Yeah?"

"May I speak with you for aher back to Jade’s room

Jade was in the hospital bed, her skin like coffee with creaood, only a shadow of the harm I’d put on her face remained

I went to stand beside her and picked up her hand

It was cool My eyes snapped to hers and there were tears running out of that beautiful eaze

"What is it?" I asked,from Jezebel’s to Jade’s