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Reyes had to be mistaken … or … or what? Crazy?

The doubt nation, he lowered his head and stepped back Was he letting o? Could it be that simple?

Then he looked up, the dark determination back in his expression, and I realized the answer tono If he hadn’t convinced et what he wanted yet, his next stateuena northeast"

I stood deathly still and absorbed his words, hisMy heart stopped in my chest as an utter disbelief and an odd sense of betrayal washed over me It wasn’t every day that an escaped convict recited my parents’ home address Every nuance of Reyes’s demeanor confir as the realization that he was giving me no choice but to cooperate sank in

"And oes far beyond those prison walls"

Visions ofto forcefor hi Hot tears burned the backs of lared at Reyes Our relationship had just dropped to a ne, one filled with contempt and distrust How could I have felt soto co inside me take root, lead ain

"We understand each other, then?" he asked He hadn’tme to soak in his words, to conteainst hiht back "You’re an asshole"

His smile held no humor "Then we understand each other"

The door opened and I stepped to the side without averting aze If he wanted a war, a war he would have

We were shown into a spacious kitchen with commercial appliances and the coolest toaster oven I’d ever seen as Bianca put the kids to bed They’d apparently been waiting up to see their uncle Reyes Poor kids They had no idea how dysfunctional even their pretend family members were

A Reyes’s clothes off as Bianca hurried in hat medical supplies they had on hand I couldn’t help but let my eyes wander when the coveralls came off, then the prison uniform He was completely naked underneath and I tried to look away, but even injured, he reseht around the hills and valleys of his muscles Bianca wrapped a towel around his lower half as Amador inspected the wound

"I need a shower," Reyes said as he downed three of whatever painkiller Amador handed hiets infected"

"It’ll heal long before it has a chance Just givetoward the table, "and I’ll be good"

As he spoke, I stepped around for a better look, and ht His entire left side looked shredded, deep gashes exposing muscle and bone He couldn’t have weathered those injuries without at least one or two broken ribs, possiblyover his abdo for a chair

"Charley!" Startled, Bianca scrambled to helpain and faced Reyes with a new fury "Why are you doing this? Why risk your life?"