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I wanted to fight for hihter back I wanted to give hi in my power, but all I could do atch the horrible scene that unfolded in front ofaway My insides felt like they were being squeezed to death as King was shoved into the detective’s car and carted back to a less cell so had saved me And I didn’t mean the times he’d saved me from Ed or even from Isaac

I meant when he’d savedMy captor, my tormentor, my lover, my friend, my world

But I did

The boy on h ainst my stomach

I had questions Soworse than when Nikki had shot me I wanted to shout theun, but I didn’t want to scare the chubby cheeked boy whose eyelashes touched his cheeks while he slept I ran hed with sleepy contentht I would never see you again and here you are sitting next to ?" Tanner asked tentatively My eyes darted up toI remembered from my past life; the beautiful chestnut colored eyes from my dream

I shook my head "Just your eyes I dreamt about them Once," I admitted

"So you dreaestively He nudged my shoulder with his elbow and I shifted away from the unfamiliar contact "Sorry," he said when he saw h I wasn’t sure if it really was okay "I need to ask you about hily down at the boy "Ask away"

"I hteen When did all this happen? How?"

"How?" Tanner laughed nervously "Well, Ray, when a man and wo "Sorry I’ around with you You’re kind of the only one who gets h his curls and sighed He pulled at the stitching on the leather seat

The car pulled to a stop in front large of a three-story house, with bright pink stucco Tall twisting columns lined the front porch which was full of pink plastic fla driveas cut into lines that arish shade of pink The laas littered with os Concrete fountains, at least thirty, all in different styles were scattered around the yard

"This isthe door He picked the little boy off ?" I asked, suddenly feeling panicked

"He’s had a long day He used to spendwith h I didn’t’ remember the little boy I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that he wasn’t co with me Tanner must have sensed my disappointment, because he added, "But I proet settled in, then we’ll talk er seat

"Wait!" I called out Tanner turned back around "What’s his naainst Tanner’s shoulder, and although he had been jostled around quite a bit, he remained sound asleep

Tanner smiled "Samuel"

My heart fell out of my chest

Samuel

Preppy’s name was Samuel

"But we call him Sammy," Tanner said

"Tanner," the senator said, dismissively He took the seat next to me in the back Instantly the contempt that had been temporarily put on the back burner for the sake of Saeance, and as we pulled back out onto the road, I launchedarrested?" I asked, unable to hide the bitterness in my voice "He tookon the streets, struggling to find protection, or food My only friend was a hoht I was the pitiful one!"

The senator didn’t flinch hearing my tale of woe, nor did he seem affected in any way, for that matter Instead, he adjusted a cufflink and clicked away on his phone "Brantley King is a felon, a conup "Whatever relationship you seeal one at that I really was hoping that when he indicated that the two of you had been…intithe truth Thatyou as a pawn to get what he wanted Nothing er, and tried to conwhat he deserves, and that is the last I want to hear about that, young lady"