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"And?"

"And I tried to ignore her and wait for Trevor and Liam, but then the hand" His voice broke

"Whose hand?" My own voice was getting shrill

"This hand with dried blood on it, and broken, ers appeared in thenext to the door Mrs Hinton sla in a low, quiet voice, then aback Then the voice said, ‘Moled?

"So I shouted, ‘Sam?’ And all he said was ‘Help’"

"Oh, my God" My mouth and eyes filled with tears "Oh, Joe, what did you do?"

"I called 911 and told them there was a bloody hand in theat Sam’s address and I suspected assault And I texted Trevor and Lia late"

They both laughed a sad, bitter chuckle

"Mrs Hinton screamed at me to turn off the phone, but I left the line open and told the 911 operator I needed her to hear everything She told o into the home, so I waited Trevor and Liam showed up just as a cop car and an ambulance appeared"

"What had happened to Sam?"

A voice behind us, froers, a dislocated shoulder, two broken ribs and a liver injury that e student," Sam answered We all looked up, and I wondered ethe man who stood before us with a face that was iuard Except he was dressed like a pale imitation of one of Boston’s finest, hat and all

"Your father did that to you? Because you lost?" I wanted to apologize, to tell him how I had no idea, how if I’d have knoould havewould have what?

"My father beat the shit out ofto happen nohand through his sweaty hair, gently placing the hat on htstand

"Why didn’t your mom take you to the hospital?"

"Because he told her not to"

"What kind of mother does that?" The words were out before I could stop them My own mom could be narrow-minded and an asshole sometimes, but not like that

"A mother who is completely controlled by ?"

And that’s the point when the entire rooain

"Tell her what Reverend Hinton did," Lia a bit, Sam seemed to need a lanced at his fingers and finally understood them

"After hed "And Iback--"

"He’d hit you before?"

"Spare the rod, spoil the child"

"Jesus Christ"

"When I took a swing, he went into this super-charged, psychotic mode Pinned me to the floor and held ers on each hand like he was snapping su the crack of bone

"And then the rest of the beating When he was done, he leftroom floor and took off his shirt He reached forThen he slowly, syste bloody trails"

"Why would he--?"

"Because when Joe called the cops and they later interviewed him, he claimed I’d done that to him That it was all a family affair and he’d prefer to keep it that way"

"The police believed him?"

"Reverend Hinton would never hit his own child unless it was self defense," Say voice

"Oh, God"

"The fucker planned it," Trevor said

"Dad would have ht steps ahead"

"That is so evil"

"No I’ what he commanded"

Sam’s bitterness made me want to run aith him and just hold him for ten years

"That asshole," Joe muttered

"You!" I whispered "You saved him"

"Joe’s my messiah," Sam said "I accepted him asa bit sick

I planted a quick kiss on Sam’s cheek and looked into his soulful eyes "Thank you I didn’t know any of this"

"I know you didn’t And I should have told you a very, very long tio, Amy," Sam said

"Why didn’t any of you tell?"

Uncomfortable silence Liam avoided ot out of the hospital, my mom offered to have him come live with us But Sam’s dad convincedmaniac who had abused his entire fae"

"Way to project"

"No kidding," Trevor agreed "Once Saured out damn fast that the proble your mom--believed the stories"