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It’s the bedrooed to Eli’s brother and then he died Most can get over that, but people will crash on the couch and hardwood floor before sleeping in the bedroom that Emily and heris cursed No one wants anything to do with a traitor

I lay Emily on the bed Her arms fall over her head and her dark hair fans out on the pillow Her eyes are shut and her breaths come out in a deep rhythmic pattern I ease back as Eli spreads a blanket over E each one to the floor

Eers splay open The picture Olivia gave her floats to the floor like a feather in the breeze My heart pounds hard once I go to retrieve it, but Mom snatches it with death written over her face Her eyesdown the business end of a rifle

If Eli found that picture in Eerous quick

"Where’d she get this?" Mom mouths

I tilt my head toward Olivia’s bedroohtens, Mom shoves the picture in her jeans pocket then spins on her heel and touches Eli’s arain his attention "Would you like me to stay with Emily?"

Eli draws a hand over his face and walks over to theseat He sags onto it and appears to age ten years

Since Eli entered my life at eleven, he’s always been badass All the stories I had been told before he returned to Snowflake er than life Over six feet tall Broad-shouldered The Reign of Terror’s black leather cut strong on his back I’ve seen hih to stand in his way

"Tell Cyrus I’ll update him soon, but I need to be in here," Eli says "Es Clothes, personal stuff A burner phone Can you handle that for me?"

"Of course," Mom answers, and I don’tthe picture "Let’s go, Oz"

I go to leave, but Eli stops me "Tell me you didn’t fall asleep on lookout"

I shove lare Eli shakes his head in disgust "We’ll deal with this in Church later Cyrus says that Emily trusts you"