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Well, hell I would be furious at o ofhands to hold ht have been able to use hting back the blackness that was trying to suck un to the side and wrapped both his hands aroundto be able to fight I tried clawing at his hands but he was intent, lost in his fury and rage I wasn’t a person to him; I was just a means to an end

“I left NorthCrest to come back home and try and help out ave her, as well as my dad’s life insurance, and used it on pills instead of thinking about the future Instead of thinking about one andout on opiates, there was no way I could afford to stay there I came home, sahat your family had done to mine, and knew I had to take action I transferred to the university under my mom’s last name and made sure I ended up in all your classes”

While he talked he squeezed and squeezed and the darkness started to win I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t feel anything below my neck, and my hands started to fall limply to either side of me

“I saw through the cracks I knew your dad was a ga kinds of people a lot of money I knew your mom was as bad as e I knew your sister gets picked on at school because the alhty Carters aren’t really froh school can tell Everyone was failing, miserable, and bound to end up just like my own faavedoll and I squeaked weakly in response

“You were supposed to fall in love withto sweep you off your feet and then destroy you, ruin you, and leave your life in ashes, but you never letenough Band-Aid on things so the rest of the world could forget just hoful the Carters were You held everything together when I wanted to watch it crumble, and for that you have to die You have to suffer, and when I’ after your sister”

He shookto choke o after Karsen I couldn’t let that happen I was trying to stay awake, trying to ht back, when Drew suddenly let out a loud bellow and let ave me the space and opportunity to lurch to my hands and knees and craay from him

Karsen was standing behind hi tears while she shook like a leaf The butcher knife I had forgotten on the kitchen counter was embedded in Drew’s shoulder as he swore and danced around Karsen grabbed my hand and pulled un Drew had brought with hirab as I hobbled toin and out, and it sounded like a river was rushing between et her out of the condo before I passed out

She shrieked when she saw Booker lying facedown and bloody on the entryway floor She stopped, which hadinto her, and made both of us stumble

“He’s hurt”

“I know, but you have to go!”

She wouldn’t budge even as I shoved her from the back I heard a roar that sounded like it came from a wounded animal and knew ourof opportunity was about to slam shut

“Karsen, rabbed her aring drunkenly on the hinges

Thundering footsteps were pounding down the stairs and there was no ti to let Drew hurt either one of us I felt awful for the tragedy that tied us together, but I wasn’t about to pay for the sins ofto allow Karsen to suffer for their mistakes any more than she already had

The gun that Booker had pulled out when Drew started shooting through the door had landed by the back of the couch I ht of it et out of the condo and call for help

Karsen pulled free of er and was now on her knees next to Booker, her hands on his back and covered in blood, while she whispered his name