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“No, Dad, he’s not People like you, people who don’t knohen to stop even when it’s obvious they are putting their faerous ones Race just givesyourself with”

My dad swore and then the anger in his gaze got speculative “How close are you to Hartman, exactly?”

Oh my God, he did not just seriously ask me that

“No He won’t forgive the debt or give the Lexus back on account of me, Dad”

Noas his turn to bark out a harsh laugh that grated

“Oh, don’t be naive, Brysen I’h in you that Ialive Race has a business partner that doesn’t take too kindly to being stiffed If I don’t coood chance you’ll be getting a phone call to coue”

I didn’t even have the words to respond to that, so I just finishedmy escape from the office and trucked my way to my parents’ room, where I knew h, that when I caainst the wall She was crying The crying wasn’t anything new, the fact that she was sober, and that her gaze was sharp and clear, was

“He gambled the house away?”

“That’s what it looks like”

She bit her botto her hands “This is all , hadn’t caused that accident, none of this would be happening now”

I didn’t disagree with her, so I didn’t offer up platitudes and useless reassurances

“Well, now you have the opportunity to try and make some better choices, Mom You need help, physical and ram, and you need to see a professional for your depression All the vodka in the world isn’t going to help you get a handle on it”

She started to cry harder “I can’t believe this is happening How could he do this to us?”

I wanted to shake her They both had a fir, but it was past the ti out blame