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She sighed, reaching up to wipe gently at soo home?”

“You get shit straightened up with your dad?” I asked quietly, ignoringhead as I leaned down close

“Yeah, we’re good,” she whispered back before pulling away

“We’re gonna go, Pop,” she called to Dragon, as standing a few feet away talking to Casper

“How you feeling?” Casper asked as we made our way toward them

“Not as bad as he is”

“No doubt” He chuckled “He’s lucky you kept your shit together Got any idea what set him off?”

“No, and I wasn’t gonna go crazy on the kid He’s family”

“Gonna have to watch hion said darkly “Don’t have time for this shit”

“Think helike an asshole for saying anything about it

“Done right, that shit won’t fuck you up,” Dragon said with a shake of his head “Has to be somethin’ else”

“Might be doing it wrong,” Casper pointed out “He’s what—twenty? Who’s he getting it from?”

“No idea—not even sure he’s doin’ it,” I ainst my side

“Nah, you’re right He’s doin’ it,” Dragon said “Boy’s gotten huge”

“We done?” I asked tiredly, scratching at the blood that was drying on my face

“Yeah, get outta here,” Casper said with a sympathetic smile

“Love you, Papa,” Trix said softly, stepping away fro

“You, too,” he lared at me

I shook my head and turned as Trixtoward my bike Goddamn, I was sore

“What do you want for lunch?” Trix called out as I situated the ice on nored, butto stop her

I wondered if I should moan a little so she’d come check on me

“Don’t have tofarther into the couch with a sigh

Will had gotten soood hits in, but he’d been too sloppy I knew he’d been taught better, so he had to have been completely out of his mind when he went after ure out what had set him off

He’d been a e We’d all gone thorough that stage—the one where anted to be the big er row out of that shit, eventually find your place in the pecking order and work your way up

“I can make you soup,” Trix said sweetly as she ca room

“Baby, I don’t need soup”

“Applesauce?”