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She knew that if anyone had been listening, they’d think she’d lost her mind

Maybe she had She’d killed a man, after all How many people could say that? How many normal people had committed murder, even in self-defense?

She looked at her own hands and felt dirty in a way that had nothing to do with thethat went deeper Soendless loops of the naot the best of Violet She didn’t think she could take another step, and eventually she stopped trying, deciding it was best if she just sat for a while in the middle of nowhere and waited

Violet could hear the cars co down the tracked road even above the incessanttoo fast and she juainst the sun, shielding her eyes When the cars were close enough, Violet fell to her knees, sobbing with relief, as everything slipped into slowopen the passenger-side door of the first car before it had even co so orders behind hi of the imprint she now carried

The men in the car with him were out now too, weapons drawn as they searched the woods around themalert and ready

Violet wanted to tell thee were tears of relief She was safe

She s her up froround

"Violet! Violet! Violet!" Even her name seemed to be set to the music in her head

She let him fold her in his arain Until she could breathe at last

"Three days," he whispered in her ear "Do you know the odds? Do you kno afraid ere?" And then, when he finally released her and his eyes met hers, "Is he nearby? Do you knohere to find him?"

She nodded She knehere he was, but she was still too afraid to say the words

He wrapped her in his ar at the local sheriff’s office Just tell me where he is and I’ll meet you there"