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“Yeah It does,” Harlow said “I’et that they’re probably crazy, but they’re nice, and I can shower I can have friends and a life here Nevaeh said that we can be a family”

“We?” I asked

“I know that you’ll leave to find Max, but we don’t have to”

“Lazlo and Blue won’t stay here Korech won’t let them,” I told her firmly

“That’s not true,” she said but refused to look at me

“Lazlo is scared to death of him There’s no way he’ll stay here even if Korech doesn’t make him leave”

“No Lazlo is just scared because you are He trusts you” She kept trying to sound casual, but her voice had gotten sht “Just leave Lazlo here You don’t need him to find your brother He’ll only slow you down” She paused before quietly adding, “We’re all slowing you down”

I couldn’t argue the merits of that It would be easier forKorech take care of them

The only people who had been prepared for an epic disaster had been the zealots living off the grid, leaving the rest of the straggling survivors to barter with the was so much different now

I didn’t want to leave Harlow here, but it wasn’t my decision to make, especially not when Korech could offer more protection than I could

“I won’t force anybody to leave,” I said finally

“Good”

“But I won’t force anyone to stay either,” I said

She stopped going through her clothes and just stared down at them for a minute

I heard the front door sla around the SUV, expecting Nevaeh and afraid of Korech But it was only Blue, his hand shoved in the pockets of his jeans as he walked towards us

“Hey, what’s going on?” Blue asked when he reached us

“Nothing,” Harlow shoved her panties into the pockets of her dress “I need to get inside before Nevaeh starts looking for me”

She went back to the house I wanted to stop her, but I couldn’t think of a good enough argument

“What’s with her?” Blue watched her walk away, and I just shrugged “I thought you guys hed

“We are leaving, right?”

“Yeah,” I nodded “I just don’t want to leave her behind”