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"You would have gone to jail"

"Yeah, so you to jail would have indeed been justice For ained you down" Of course that wasn’t the point She didn’t say anything to that, but he could practically see the hackles rising He wanted to ask how Emma had been taken, about Es, but now Eht and clean, a hairbrush in her hand She walked to him and held out the brush He heard Molly suck in her breath He sht Eles, then began the braid

Emma said, "Mama, could you teach Ramsey how to French-braidpretty ith your regular braid, though"

"You should have seen the first braid he did It was all spiky and crooked, like it was broken in the ot to the end of the braid, she handed back a rubber band "There" He turned her around, his hands on her shoulders "You look great Everyone is going to ask you who your hairdresser is I’m the best"

"That ell done," Molly said in a calh for her, this unquestioned trust and affection E, one she hadn’t even known until a week ago "Can I show Ramsey how to French-braid it tomorrow for you, Em?"

"Yes, Ma her hands "I want you to gather up all your clothes, Eet anything It’s important If thosethat has to do with any of us in here The three of us are leaving in fifteenlook, then nodded slowly

He waited until he heard E room, then said to Molly, "I told you that I was relieved that you weren’t the bad guys We had visitors, two of them"

Emma said from the doorway, a half-filled pillowcase in her hands, "Are you going to look at your leg, Raotten He should, just to make sure there was no infection He nodded slowly "I’ll get the tape," she called

"What’s going on?"

"Two guys stu their rifles, pretending to be drunk I got Eot hit in the leg, but I ed to hit both of them One of them twice They ran off I have one of their rifles Maybe the police can run a check on it

"I don’t knoho they were or why they were here My feeling is that they were after E there, beside hiauze" He rose and pulled down his sweatpants He heard Molly suck in her breath He said as he sat back down again, "Let auze up There, that’s not too bad It’s supposed to turn black and blue Okay, E’s down a bit"