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“’Course,” he said,toward the door “Wasn’t a hardship”

Once he was gone, I opened the envelope Inside, loose and gruesoers, the tips still so fucking sensitive that they ached when the air touched them Then I hobbled back outside

I tossed the envelope in the fire pit and pulled out e

“Why are you out here?” Rose asked poking her head out the door She s about?”

“Just happy to be home,” I replied

That night, Rose slept naked, as she’d proet close enough, even in her sleep I stared at the ceiling in the living roo my neck I never could have predicted how our lives would change when I’d tossed her in that pool all those o

I was one lucky motherfucker

Epilogue

Rose

“I killed so me so bad that I dropped the knife in my hand

“You what?” I asked, whipping my head up to look at her

I’d gone to my parents to help my mom with Mack’s birthday dinner since our house was too small to hold everyone comfortably, but I suddenly wished that I’d just had it at the clubhouse

“I did,” she said She glanced up at“It was before you were born”

“Jesus,” I muttered “Who?”

“Your dad’s brother,” she said, her hands going still as she looked back up

“You killed Dad’s brother? I didn’t even know he had a brother”

“They weren’t raised together,” she said “Not that it mattered, Asa still considered him a brother”

“What happened?” I asked cautiously, unsure whether I even wanted to know

“He showed up when it was just hed me up a little”

“Roughed you up a little?” I said incredulously,on the knife

“Beat the shit out of me, would’ve done worse” She crossed her arms and leaned her elbows on the table “He was one of the men that killed my parents”

“Holy shit,” I breathed Why hadn’t I ever heard this story before?

“It was terrifying,” she said “And I don’t like to talk about it”

“Why are you?” I asked

“Because,” she replied, her eyes searching my face, “I wanted you to know”

“I’aze

“When you’re protecting someone you love,” she continued, “youryou won’t do”