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I pull the tattered reet in the shower, huh?”

“A friend?” She slides off the counter and moves to open the door

I stop her “I’ll take care of it, okay?”

She narrows her eyes again, vanishes into her room and closes the door behind her I let Split in He’s not a big guy, but he’s scary Mediuht, vibrantly white teeth and eyes so light brown they’re al or you’ll piss yourself Eyes that see your secrets and threaten to htmares colad he’s my friend, mainly because I’ve seen what happens to his enelances down at Dan “The fk happened to hia pants “Colton was helping me”

“Who’re you?” Split says

“Nell Hawthorne This is my apartment” She extends her hand to shake Split’s

He looks at her outstretched hand like it’s an insect, then cracks a rare smile as he shakes it “Split” He peers at Nell’s face, at the purpling bruise, the finger marks on her throat, the way she clutches her arms around her middle “He try to rape you?”

Nell nods

“His na Split will put two and two together

Split’s eyes widen slightly, the equivalent of a gasp of surprise froo down in Harlees Dan over onto his back, examines his injuries with a professional eye “You done a nuonna make it”

“He tried to rape her, Split Then he punched her”

“To be fair,” Nell puts in, “He only punched h “You what? Girl, you crazy Don’t put a knife to a guy like Dan Sikorsky and not kill hi for trouble pullin’ shit like that”

“She’s frorew up She’s vanilla”

He nods “I getcha Just saying, in case there’s a next time Don’t threaten what you won’t finish Not with motherfuckers like Sikorksy He’ll kill you, even if you are a rich white bitch”

“Excuse lances at irl Not fron word “And you are froain “Colton?” He says the na each syllable “Man, she so else Where’d you find her?” He looks at Nell “Yeah, he from the hood My boy Colt is a OG from way back”

Nell h past his lips, a huff of air “You so else, lances back at Nell “You holding up alright, white girl?”

Nell’s face is impassive “I’m fine”

Split nods, but I can tell he doesn’t believe her any more than I do I step closer to Nell and I don’t h it’s me “Go take a shower, Nell It’ll help”

“I don’t need help” Her voice is hard, stubborn

I laugh, but not unkindly “You want to deal with hi on his blood Split turns him over so he drools it out on the hardwood floor