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“I’ll keep that in mind”

“You want me to stick around, or you okay on your own?”

“You can take off”

He chugged back the last of the beer “A little birdie toldaround unar about everyone but herself He walked over to the gun that he had pulled on me that was placed on the counter “You kno to use it?”

I just liftedtime noas in business with Nassir, and Bax was un I just preferred not to

“Okay, then Good luck with your lady I think you’re going to need it”

I watched hiun There was no denying thatSome parts for the better, andto be finding the right balance I took the gun and stashed it on the top of the fridge to keep it out of sight for now and ht of stairs that led up to the master bedroohts were on, and when I walked in I expected Brysen to be on the bed watching TV or so roo around like maybe I had somehow missed her, when I heard a soft noise from the open door to the master bath that was located off to one side of the space

I kicked irl She was standing in front of the mirror, a pair of scissors in one hand and a comb in the other Her platinuht, blue eyes were locked on me when I crowded her reflection in the mirror She set the scissors down and self-consciously ran her hands over her shorn hair The ar the back of her head made my teeth clench as atched each other silently in the reflective surface

“This is the best I could do” She sounded nervous and unsure

It actually didn’t look too bad froled close to her face with superstraight bangs across her forehead The back was almost all clipped close to her head, except for a little part that was just long enough to cover the top of her injury It was edgy and retro at the same time She kind of looked like athe Bonnie to my Clyde any day of the week

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there today when they released you I’ve been chasing ht have pushed you down the stairs I should’ve been there to bring you home”

She turned around and leaned back against the sink so I was looking at her and at my own reflection in the ot darker just by being in the same room as her

“Home? I don’t even knohere I am, Race What is this place? How can we even be here? I have a million questions and you haven’t been around to answer any of the into Booker, and that isn’t fun for either of us I hate this”

All I could do was look at her because she should hate it, but I was doing my best Her eyes dropped down and she took a step forward to grab one of otten all about my busted-open knuckles and the dried blood that was caked on the back of my hands

“Your hands are all bloody”

I choked on a laugh “You have no idea”

She scowled at hed as Ithat—washing the blood down the drain

“My dad used this place to hook up with his h away froer is shady as hell, so I paid him off and now there is no paper trail that can tie this place back to anyone in my family I asked him to transfer the title over to your name It’s not on the up-and-up, but for now, you and Karsen can stay here, even after we get this shit with your stalker on lockdown I know you orried about as going to happen with your oldyour house in foreclosure Now you have a place to stay”

I heard her make a little noise in her throat and then her hands were overht away Her eyes met mine in the mirror, and I could see all the fear, all the uncertainty, all the questions she had shining out at ratitude, the hope, and so to latch on to

“I should have been there today”