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My back hits the floor and I look up, ely aroundodaht, unable to do ainst the floor aboveto kill es to bind both of my wrists with one hand, the other he presses overhiain, ht of his hand

"I’ to kill you," he says calmly "If it was my intention, you’d be dead already"

He waits for my tense body to ease sohtly

"Are you going to be quiet?"

I nod because I still can’t speak with his hand overmoment, Victor moves his hand away slowly

"Why wouldn’t you killand choked by tears "Still using e?"

"In a way, yes," he answers

I want to screaain while I have a chance, but his words keep me from it:

"And I don’t kill innocent people"

Silence fills the small space between us

"No one is innocent," I snap, surprisingmurderer violate me and I never said no I sat back and watched in silence as he and his irls I becaht back or stood up for any of the to rise with anger, but I don’t care I clenchup into his eyes as he re botheredsmashed to bits by that hammer didn’t faze me! I didn’t flinch when Marisol was forced to have an abortion by a butcher doctor who left her to bleed to death on the table! I didn’t shed a single tear when the girl with the red hair and freckles was killed right in front of me because theup s out of anger, but he catches my wrists and holds them solidly "I am not innocent!" I roar

I feel his hands wrench my wrists, but s I’ve adest tih to the very core ofme into someone entirely different than I was supposed to be

I letof defeat I can’t look at hie, but out of shame I can’t look a murder in the eye because not only am I no better than he is, it’s possible that I’," he says and raises his body fro that separates you froainst your will You were still ainst your will You were physically and emotionally abused You should not blame yourself for their weakness"

He walks back over to the table

I pickto uilt I’ve harbored for so long is only trying to force lances over at "

I shaketo help thes and takes up the suitcase in the other

"You did," he says, standing in front of me now "You kept your cool You waited for your opportunity You pretended to the point of acceptance and trust You’re risking your life right now to go back for that girl"

He walks past ets there

"You are innocent," he says "And it’s why you’re still alive"

Then he opens the door and hesitantly, I follow him out

CHAPTER TWELVE

We arrive in Green Valley nearly three hours later Both of us sat in silence forto do, too many unresolved issues to work out, which I didn’t co in such a short tiuilt to rest, if I ever can I don’t care that the things Victor said made sense, I still feel like the most selfish person in the world for what I did I’ll probably feel this way forever

And I did ask Victor ere heading to Green Valley He had said before that he would tell ue He told e to uess all that talking he did back at the hotel in Douglas went over his conversational word liain so quickly, the quiet, reserved, inti assassin who, for reasons unknown to me, I almost feel completely safe with