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SOON AS CARTER took off, Denver joined hier seat of his truck without fanfare, then strapping on his seat belt

Surprised, Ar chauffeur?"

"To Bray’s house, yeah I decided to go along You can drop me off here on your way home"

What the hell? He didn’t need a babysitter "You want to tell me why?"

With a roll of one shoulder, Denver said, "I’m worried about the kid, too"

That was acceptable, but then Denver went on

"And you have a fight soon If shit goes sideways, no reason for you to chance getting hurt"

"Get out of rinned at him "Nope"

"Asshole"

Unperturbed, Denver nodded "You’re welcoear and pulled away As he drove, he waited, but Denver didn’t ask hinore "Denver?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks"

As if he’d expected it, Denver said, "There ya go"

Just to lighten thefor you while you act as ht?"

"Maybe" He slanted Arirl pines is enough to hed "She loves you That’s a good thing"

"Very good"

"And vice versa"

"She’s h, she’s out with Yvette, Vanity and Harper The guys are helping Stack get some equipment set up"

Armie wondered if he could ever claio--but his brain had always insisted it wasn’taround and leaving anonyhts ca halt when he pulled up to the sh the open s, rank curses echoed around the neighborhood As Armie sat there--only seconds really--the warped screen door flew open and Bray shot out, tripping over his own feet

A big bastard lumbered out after him Dressed in his boxers and a wife-beater undershirt, he stuave chase, fists bunched, face florid--and unfortunately, he caught Bray by the back of the shirt, literally yanking the boy off his feet so that he hit the ground hard

Behind the at the man’s arm

Both truck doors slammed as Aret up, the round, and to Armie’s disbelief, the ing

"That’s enough!"

Ar to a halt Hell, even the birds in the trees stopped chirping Stiff necked, Bray rolled away, the er at Armie and the woaze darting everywhere

Denver’s heavy stride kept pace, but he allowed Armie to speak "Bray, come here"

White with shock, Bray looked up--and no one could e and shame

Jesus, Ar a fifteen-year-old kid

Bray stood, shouldering a sleeve over each cheek to remove dirt and, probably, tears He didn’t come to Armie, so with Denver at his side, Aruy eyed hi hirip "This isn’t your business"

"You couldn’t be ht up to the man until heeasy, to give the bastard a taste of his own abuse Instead, Arlanced at the hand on Bray’s ar his eyes and s Bray a shove that sent hiain

Armie crowded closer "That was aaround grown men, or do you specialize in boys?"