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I don’t think I’ve ever seen James speechless

"Where the fuck is my sister?"

"I had to take her back to the yacht"

Nick doesn’t even have words for that He’s stunned silent

"One, …" James searches for words But how to explain this clusterfuck? "He showed back up, drugged Harper Gave her way too much…"

We stare at James in silence

Then Nick attacks It’s a stupid s, and then body-slams him on the carpet in front of my booth "Take easy, asshole She’s fine I left her with the Ad with you?" Nick growls and flips Ja to their feet and circle each other "Are you stupid?" he screa did?"

No one answers and he doesn’t tell us He just turns and walks to the back room of my dad’s booth

Chapter Seven

Sasha

Merc’s cabin has a strange bookshelf filled with vintage science fiction, hippy acid-tripping pop culture froret for leaving my Little House book back at the mall It’s a childish book One more suited for ten-year-olds instead of me But it has an innocence and simplicity about it that my life could use a littlecomes on my earbuds Merc’s idea To shelteron across the roolance over ainst Tet’s jaw and then the whole thing starts all over again

He’s not taking this well That’s what Merc said when he gave me the iPod and earbuds Better stay out of it, kid And then he walked off

Nick not taking this well is the understatehts have been nuth, they make up for in intensity We still don’t knohy Nick is so pissed At least, I never heard that explanation since we got here to this cabin just outside of town Maybe Nick told Merc when they drove together? I rode with James and James didn’t say shit on that drive