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At the edge of the beach, Sa, leaned on his knee, and watched the rough waves splash against the sand Dark clouds had covered the sky, and the palainst the bitter wind The whole damn world felt cold

Over and over today, Linda had needed hi

And now… "God, I love you, Sam" He scrubbed his face as if he could erase the memory of the hurt in her eyes when he hadn’t spoken Years of being a Dom e

He’d known But couldn’t reach out Couldn’t speak She’d been damned brave today, and he hadn’t told her that Hadn’t told her how proud he was of her

What kind of a bastard got involved with a woman and didn’t help her when she needed him? Got so twisted into knots that he couldn’t even tell her how he felt? Or take her hand when she looked lost?

He straightened, looking up into the ugly sky as the first drops of rain hit Linda deserved someone who’d be there for her

That soht spot in his chest, then headed back to his truck

As he climbed in his truck, he remembered the paint cans in the back and the white blotches on her house He’d taken that task on himself, and it wasn’t finished Once that was done…

Linda hadn’t been able to cry or eat or even think Her emotions felt battered, as if someone had taken a baseball bat to them The television had bothered her She’d turned it off She’d tried reading and then stared at one page for half an hour The basket she started was a misshapen disaster Finally she went to bed and stared at the ceiling

She’d think tomorrow Me and Scarlett O’Hara--we kno to handle life You bet

Ashe must have finally drifted off The red display on her clock said four am, and her room was dark Quiet Unlike all the noise outside What in the world?

"Fucking son of a bitch, let h-pitched but fanizable Sa crazily Really, this wasn’t a good way for an ex-slave to wake up I need a dog

She pulled Frederick’s ancient golf club fro on the door burst like a borip on her weapon, Linda cracked the door "What’s going on?"

Sam stood on her doorstep She started to s like a worm His wrists were restrained behind his back with handcuffs

When he tried to sit up, Sam flattened him with a boot on his back "Annoy me, asshole, and I’ll break your spine just to enjoy the crunch" He glanced at Linda, eyes colder than she’d ever seen "Feels like cracking ice cubes with your teeth"

"Good to know" She sed, re irl" He thu a pained ooraffiti artist"

"Seriously?" When the man looked up at her, her jaw dropped "Dwayne?" Dwayne had been painting filth on her house?

"Know him?"

"Yes!" She took in his nod "You’re not surprised?"

"Too persistent Too nasty Doubted he was a stranger"

Dwayne glared at her "Letcrap out of you I was just walking by when this…"

Saht on the loves Your prints will be all over the cans out there"

Dwayne’s eyes widened

"Why, Dwayne?" Linda tightened her belt against the chill night The rain had swept through, leaving the air fresh except for the scent of paint "What did I do that you’d hate me this much?"

Silence Sweat broke out on the reporter’s brow as he continued to struggle

"Talk to her, boy" Sam dropped his voice into a Dom’s low threat "Or you’ll screa a hawk After a aze away and say to Linda, "Why? We fucked, and it was good, but then you duo to a sleazy club You’re a whore"

"Watch the language, boy" When Sairl His cheek wasup at her