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"Stellar day for us both, huh?"

"Yes" He fell silent "Shaffer is right about one thing When it co the hereditary stability of truthseeker talent, his genes win"

That’s what true love looked like Shaffer wouldn’t know it if it was staring hi was screwed up The deadline was alo There would be repercussions, and we had very little protection against his ic Tomorrow I’d have to explain to Rynda that her husband rand to kidnap rew up The trials were growing closer

I just wanted a break from it all I wanted to put it away until toht about it too

We took the stairs to the second floor I thought about the rooht sky, and the ht on me, the feel of steel-hardtaste of hisa harsh edge

"Yes?"

"Move faster"

I let hi and kissed an, man and coffee, inhaled the scent of sandalwood on his skin, and felt his aric caressed er " Red blotches appeared on Rynda’s cheeks

"Unfortunately, no Everything I told you is backed up by evidence and personal accounts Edill verify his part in it He didn’t lie to me"

She looked away from me We sat on the balcony off the second floor, as far away from any audience as we could The raw pain on her face made me ill I had half convinced myself that she had to have known or at least suspected that Brian was in on the whole thing I rong She had no idea It hit her like a ton of bricks

"Why?" she said, her voice broken "Ho could he do this to us? To me and the kids?"

"He’s selfish and manipulative Adults don’t run away from stress and problems We deal with them The first time he ran away, someone should’ve sat him down and explained to hirounded hied it and he fell into a pattern He’s afraid of confrontations Killing you and the kids is easier than facing Edward or dealing with the divorce You’re the empath, Rynda You know him better than anyone"

"I stopped," she said Her eyes were haunted

"You stopped what?"

"I stopped scanning hio, after Kyle was born The indifference was too much to take I couldn’t handle it Indifference from him, derision from his parents, disappointment from my mother I shut it out I hadn’t usedoff a chunk of your soul It must’ve hurt so much to knohat Brian really felt for her For their kids

"The only people safe to scan are the children andthe children"

And Edward She’d almost said it

"And I don’t need erew theave birth to them They are a part of me and a part of him And he wants them dead How do I tell them that?"

"I wouldn’t"

"I’m a pity fuck"

"I’m sorry?"

Rynda turned to hter with the useless ic talent, a disappointment to my mother She loved me, but she couldn’t hide it An abandoned bride A enes A hose husband didn’t love her A ht DNA to her children"

Well, that progressed into a complete catastrophe I had no idea what to say

Rynda sniffed

I got up and brought her a box of Kleenex

"You have no idea what it’s like to be an empath People look at you like you’re some horrible freak"

I leaned forward "Victoria Trerandmother"

Rynda drew back as if I had thrown a venomous snake on the table between us

"I don’t need to be an empath to know you’re horrified" I smiled