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"No," Dad says "She won’t, and neither will Eli Just like ht be a lot of things, but over the years I’ve known him, he’s proven to be a man of his word"

Mom won’t tell me No one will tella liar--Olivia

Disorientation hits me as another shot has been taken atwound tastes like betrayal My ar that it will er "Hey, Dad?"

"Yes?"

I turn ht into his eyes "Do you swear I’er, you would have been on the first flight ho with police by your side Eli’s your biological father, but I’ you to stay here forever A week Maybe two You decide the length, no matter what Eli thinks I’ll miss you every second you’re away and we’ll talk as often as you want I want you to discover your biological fairl Always"

I rest my head on his shoulder My dad This is my dad "I love you"

A kiss ondo I need to stay?" A sickening wave of ho behind my parents, but dreao on vacation with Trisha next week to her grandmother’s in New York I had just discovered that I was selected to be the head volunteer at the food pantry I had just gotten the attention of the cute guy insome dreams a reality

A lot of supposed-tos and just-abouts and now I’h for you to get a taste of Eli and his fa hoet you What do you have to say?"

What do I have to say? From across the lot, ether as if in prayer Eli stands in the roup of aze reaches Oz and the lances away; then ain And I haveto lose her uy to develop a nervous habit, but I’ Violet taps her fingers when she’s wound Chevy rubs his hands together Razor will take out that big blade of his and flip it around,everyone around hio quiet Still And observe ainst the wall of the clubhouse andThis building used to be a three-car garage, but as the club grew, the cars received an eviction notice and a bar now runs along the wall When it rains, they’ll lift the garage doors and park the bikes inside, but on dry days the place belongs to the pool table, mismatched couches, bar stools, tables, chairs and the bras tacked to the walls

It’s nine in the evening Our caravan traveled hoo Olivia escorted Emily inside, Eli went into Church with the other board et soet htailed it on my bike Noith my feet cemented to the concrete floor, hands shoved in my pocket and my eyes peeled on the clock on the wall over the bar

Each passing second curls the coil inside hter

Tickticktick

Razor and Chevy sit at the bar nursing the longnecks they bought twenty o They could be here for the cheap beer since not a dae Hell, they could be here to watch the Reds galances they send me and the fact that neither of them has said a word to each other or anyone else informs me they’re here for support

I ht I’ll learn my fate with the club

The door to the back opens and Razor’s dad, Hook, scans the rooeant-at-ar for er Hook would be the reason why his son had the longest prospect period in the history of the club He refused to let Razor’s o up for a vote with the club until by-laws demanded it had to be done Not sure why he did what he did, but Hook’s actions didn’t help his already messed-up relationship with his son

With one flick of a finger, Hook indicates forin the position I’h I barely catch the door before it shuts Straight would lead me to the kitchen, but I hike up the stairs

The second floor holds a dormitory-type roos to this chapter or another Farther down the hall are a few individual roouests or for couples who prefer privacy instead of doing their thing in public Where I’ht: Church

Church, for the club, is a reverent room It doesn’t contain pictures of dead saints or candles in red glasses, and there’s no cross nailed to an altar What is hae black banner with a skull in the dead center, fire dripping fro out of the eyes The white words Reign of Terror race across the top