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"Why did you let Liao out?" I demanded "He wasn’t even ar Blues! Oh my God, Ruby, you have to--look, never ave ht back on hi with a deep breath "However you want to define what’s between you and Lee, that’s none ofto keep up with the circles you run around each other It beco the other the way you’ve been treating hith You’re justhere, but not here, you know?" he said "Even when you’re with us, you’re not even really present You zone out, you dodge topics, you hold back And every once in a while you’ll justdisappear Is there so us?"

"You’ve been so busy picking apart everything I do, but you don’t see?" I said "Try training, tothese kids in shape Try planning, towith Clancy, because no one else can"

My voice had dropped to a furious whisper and the force of it had clearly stunned hi soft asme

"I just want you to talk to us," he said "I know it can’t be like before, but I miss it I miss" Chubs shook his head "I didn’t mean to juh

"Because you needed to hear it from someone," Chubs said "From my perspective, you’ve thrown your hat in with the Asshole Brother--which, fine But don’t forget who’s been pushing for these camp hits to happen basically from the second we arrived at East River Don’t you reured out and was all Lee-like because he orking andsome kind of result in the kids around hi, Ruby What I want to know is, are you upset that Lia your perled as erous! Because he could be captured or killed! And I can’t--" The words choked off and I was surprised by the rush of eer, and, above all, fear "I can’t lose another person"

Chubs let out a long breath and tuckedpats I pressedthe rush of elation I’d felt when I’d seen him for the first time in months and finally known that he’d survived The texture of thesunbea any of this to be accusatory or cruel; he just wanted us to be safe and together, but he wasn’t thinking that far into the future Chubs’s whole focus was on our little circle, but ainst that instinct and consider everyone

"He’s just one person, I know, but he’s our person," he said, like he’d read hts "And, the truth is, I think we need to be focused on Zu We have to try to get the full story out of her about what happened to that guy she was traveling with I don’t think it’s going to be as si until she’s ready to talk about it"

I nodded, leaning back against the wall, watching her as she sat between Hina and Lucy Her eyes were focused on the floor, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her legs tucked under her

"It wasn’t aones? I won’t let the to hurt them in ways I can’t see yet"

"We can’t protect theive the them and the next wave of kids a shot at a better life than e had To co"

Yes--that was it exactly The freedo able to one The freedom to live where anted to, ho shadow For kids not to groith the fear that one day they ht not wake froht bulb in the middle of an otherwise normal day

I knew, just as Cole did, that the only ere going to coh force A real fight But the costI looked around again, taking in the sight of their anihter to ease the grip of fear around etthat there was a damn decent chance that not all of these kids would live to benefit froo hohborhood in broad daylight I want to go to school, so even if they hold s because I’ to be easy, and I know I’h alive, but it’s worth it, if I can just have that" Chubs was quiet for awill be worth it, and we’re going to be around to see it"