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Shit She’d probably been tossed in the back of a sihtht,” Izzy told the quaking girl She kept her hands fisted so she wouldn’t reach out and wrap her arms around the poor child She was smaller than the others Probably the twelve-year-old “No one will hurt you anymore I swear it on my life”
She pointed to where Jig and Zach waited, well off to the side, uys, honey They only want to help and get you far away frouy will drive, but I will be the only one with you in the back of the van Just me Okay?”
Lower lip quivering, the girl finally nodded and followed her new fairl walked with a stiff posture as though sore So with a hitch in their step Izzy refused to think about too deeply Her heart ached with each step they took, and when the last girl was in the van, she turned to Rocket “Give me a minute?”
“Sure,” he said, assessing her closely Too closely
Izzy stepped around the side of the van, out of sight of all theher head to her chin A beachball-sized lued in the center of her throat and tears puddled in the corners of her eyes The sensation of a thick rubber band wrapping around her chest kept her fro air, and she sucked in short, shallow breaths
How could anyone…?
She shook her head This wasn’t a situation she was equipped to deal with Not soreatest depth of hu day after day with firsthand knowledge of these acts?
Strong ar of safety surrounded her After the argu was the last person she expected to attempt to support her She wanted to sink into his embrace and let him erase the past hour of her life
But it would only draw her closer to being dependent on him and thus
Straightening, Izzy sniffed, wiped any errant moisture from her eyes and stepped out of his eht of loneliness collapsing down on her
Proof of why she had to do this Now, she could control the situation Choose to be alone and on her own Later? If he left, after she dared let herself love hi her shoulders and turning to face him
Eyes grim, scar prominent, mouth flat, hair mussed from the mask that he’d reood thing for those girls, sweetheart You were right, they never would have come with us”