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"Not really" He shook his head and alked towards the main road "This is the life I was born into I do what I know and what ret that this is the life you were born into?" I wasn’t sure if , but I couldn’t stop rets about anything Life is too short for regrets"

"That’s a great attitude to have"

"My mom always used to say that" His voice sounded sad "She used to say that not everyone was born into a fae their circumstances There just had to be one brave person in the faan talked about his mom, I hesitated I wasn’t sure how much he knew about our shared history, and I wasn’t sure if he would be mad if I told him "Your mom was a oman"

"Yes, yes, she was" He turned wistful eyes upon me "Every day, I try to be the man she would have wanted me to be"

"Who did she want you to be?"

"She wanted me to be kind and compassionate; she wanted better for me and my brothers She really wanted us to have a better life Better than ive us She even tried to leave"But then she found out she had cancer, and she knew she couldn’t take us boys and deal with the diagnosis at the same time"

"I’an talk

"She knew she was going to die" His voice was hoarse "She hoped her death would get ot worse and worse And I had to help him more and more, and then there came a point where I realized this was my life, this ho I was But, it didn’t have to be Vincent’s life and it didn’t have to be Jared’s life Her death wouldn’t be in vain if I made sure they took different paths"

"They don’t steal cars?" I bit my lip nervously as I questioned him I had always heard that it was a family business and that all the Martelli brothers were involved In fact, when I had ood

"No, sometimes they come to be a lookout, but I try and keep them away from this life as much as I can" He looked at e Well, two-year college, but we are hoping he will transfer to State in a couple of years and then go to law school And Jared is trying to get into school as well"

"Wow, that’s awesoue school like you go to, but we’re trying"

"Ivies are overrated"

"That’s easy for you to say"

"Yeah, I guess it is" I sighed at his harsh words But I kneas just being honest How many opportunities had I been afforded because I had been born into a well-to-do fa, and yet I knew I didn’t feel as if my life were complete I had still never had love, and to an in his faded blue jeans and black T-shirt and he looked even better in person than he had ever looked in photographs It eird, this connection I had with Logan, the closeness I felt to hio down this road as well"

"So you would give it up if you could?"

"Maybe" He shrugged "But what else would I do?"

"What else would you want to do?"

"It doesn’t an cleared his throat "This is my fate or curse My life was dictated by another It see that I do the same" He clenched his fist and his eyes avoided o check it out?"

"To steal?" I had a weird feeling in ht and I wasn’t sure what it was

"No" He turned to rabbed ainst my hair before he pulled back and looked into uess I’irl"

"Hurry" He walked quickly "We have to make sure no one sees us"

"What if the owners cohed and grabbed ot to the car I saw hi with the lock

"What are you doing?"

"Shhh" He put a finger to his lips "Don’t alert the world"

"What should I do?" I asked excitedly, and he ser beaver Just stand there and be cool" He pulled me towards him and kissed me passionately, andrinned at ain and I watched him ith adet the door open, and I took the ti okay here?" a deep voice asked behind us, and we both froze I turned around slowly and saw a police officer behind us, and I thought I was going to faint

"Good day, officer, I was just helping this young lady get into her car She left her keys in the ignition" Logan’s voice was cheerful, and the officer looked at hi to me

"Are you okay, ma’am?"

"Yes, officer, I locked my keys in the car by mistake" I beamed at him "I’m such a ditz"

"This is your car?" He looked at rabbed his radio fro from my face as I stared at the officer and nodded "Yes, of course this is my car What do you think?"

"Do you have your license on you, ma’am?" His face softened a bit but he still looked suspicious

"Uh, yeah" I opened my purse and pulled out my wallet "Don’t mind the photo, it was a bad hair day"

"You from River Valley?" He looked down at my license, and I nodded "Far away froet some items from Walmart" I smiled weakly "They didn’t have theain"

"Maddison Wright, hht?"

"Yes" I sht is rinned at ht around here"