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The police arrived to where Meg had pointed theht and Eli served eight years in prison This is fucked up

"Why not tell Emily the truth?"

Eli chuckles bitterly "Where would you start? So the ABCs and 123s you inforrandparents would be, too, if the police got their shit together? Meg ran for her life She ran to save Eht saved our club frole one of us would have laid down his life for her and Ebranded herself a villain A snitch She’s no snitch She’s a hero"

I hear hied ive E I told Olivia and Cyrus to back off and to give Meg roo Jeff and I sure as shit didn’t expect hihts He could offer irls the world and all I could offer was a whole lot of hurt

"Maybe Meg and I didn’t do it right Maybe wedecision, but when I was released from prison and Jeff offered me the opportunity to see Emily at least once a year with the condition that I lie about the past, I july, call the decisions whatever you want, but it’s worth any price to see lances away and I pretend that there wasn’t wetness in his eyes "Why are you tellingyou’ll keep your word and the moment Emily touches down in Florida you’ll tell her the whole truth"

He’s out of the truck and a roar fills my ears Those words felt too final I’m out after him "What is that supposed to mean?"

Eli knocks on Violet’sand she rolls it down Her eyes are red and puffy and she opens her mouth, but Eli holds up his hand "Get out of here Don’t ine, and the two of us watch as she pulls a U-turn As she passes us, I press three fingers to nal she created ere kids She one, Eli starts down the street again and I keep stride "That’s your grand plan? Walk up the steps, ring the doorbell and then they’re going to hand over Emily?"

Eli steps in front of me and his entire tense de to do exactly as I say when I say it and you’re going to do exactly what I ask without questioning ht you with me because Eht She’ll follow you before she’ll follow me and I need her to follow you out Can you handle this?"

I can more than handle this "Yes"

He wraps his hand around oodthe yard, up the steps and ringing the doorbell I follow, looking around for the two guys that disappeared, searching for the threat that has to be near The door opens and es as if I have a rifle trained on uy that answers is a massive man Gray hair Clean-shaven and wears a Riot cut on his back For the first time, my own cut feels like a second skin He runs his eyes over htened out last week"

I school my expression to hide the surprise that they’ve talked Eli shrugs "We did, but Ee otiations You spent tihter She has a flight to catch this afternoon and airport security is a bitch"

The h and extends his arlances at un hanging on his hip He then casually rests his hand near his piece He’s telling me to be prepared

We enter and a heaviness surrounds un before soer My ame Not a show that can be turned off or rewound

We walk through a dining roo before we gain two tails-- up the rear The sh the kitchen Each step I take, I’m more aware ofroom and all the nerves quickly dissolve into a wave of protectiveness

Emily raises her head and breathes out randmother, adores kittens A curio cabinet to my left is filled with ceramic kittens in various poses and the wall contains several oil paintings of kittens in various stages of activities such as chasing butterflies or playing with yarn The cherry on this kitty-cat sundae is the live cat It’s black with yellow eyes and it scowls at me from its perch on the end table Its tail flicks left and then right with the beat of a second hand