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Euides me into the hot June sun and away fros under a shade tree on the other side of the parking lot Twenty minutes after Oz and I returned to the office and waited in silence, ed Dad and then Mo that I wasn’t in danger and he told my mother I was What does it ged like they meant it

"Why don’t you sit down, E, I do, and Dad claims the spot beside ht and observes me and Dad froroup of aze roae, except this guy has a vest on

Dad takes a deep breath and I steel myself for his rip-the-Band-Aid-off method "Eli wants you to stay in Snowflake for a while--for the suo to juree to just hear me out?"

I want to scream "no," but the silent plea in Dad’s eyes causes"Fine"

"Thank you"

He’s totally not welcome

"Eli feels that the Riot, the motorcycle club that they’re rivals with, is a threat to you because of his current business issues, and that you’ll be safer under his protection than you would be returning home Eli believes that if the Riot thinks you’re unprotected, they’ll use you against hihtly Not Eli Not your hts"

Knots harden in ers several times "You said they want me to stay What do you want?"

Dad lays his hand over "

My head falls back and I fight the way er?"

"No," Dad says with force "You’re not in danger"

"But I overheard Eli say--"