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“I killed him” Jesse said “I killed Artie McKinley and Dave Mancio I put Caleb Gomez in the hospital And I watched Mitch Adams burn up in his helicopter” He patted Patrick on the back, like the good friend Patrick had alished him to be, and limped away

Mitch ghost dogged Jesse out the door

The bright sunshine blinded hiave hi the steps down to the asphalt parking lot

A hot wind blen frorass The scent of the southern California desert re a boy

He’d grown up in this town on the edge of nowhere, and if it weren’t for the damn house his mother left to him in her will, he would never have returned The war had kept hie papers, he could no longer ignore this little obligation

All he had to do was get rid of the house and he could leave Chris Barnhardt, a buddy froo withproposition that included the word partner

If Jesse were a s he’d never claihway 101 on his way to the rest of his life A life he could taste like clean, cold water after years choking on dust in the desert

Instead he was in New Springs Just hihosts

The bright spot of reflection bounced off his Jeep’s windshield sitting the corner of the parking lot A small woman stood next to the vehicle Her brown hair blew out behind her like a flag Like a warning

He lurched to a stop

Not this, Jesse thought, panic kick-starting his heart Not her

She pushed away from the Jeep and Jesse forced one foot in front of the other, inching his way toward his sister

She had a lot of nerve A lot of godda his

“Hello, Jesse” Rachel took a few steps closer He tried not to notice the chin she thrust out as though she were ready for whatever he ht throw at her

It was exactly the way he remembered her Even at thirty-four, she still looked like that eighteen-year-old girl who’d been so damn fired up to take on the world