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I dropped everything, told Bax that we had to go, and we started back to the condo Things had amped up, tension had exploded thick and heavy when I couldn’t get Brysen, Karsen, or Booker on the phone I thought Bax was going to put the gas pedal through the floor when he called Dovie not once, not twice, not even three tis were not right, none of it was right, and e had reached the condo and encountered the unmistakable Road Runner that she drove parked haphazardly and with the doors left open, all I could think was thatin puddles of blood because I wasn’t where I was supposed to be at

The sight of Karsen crying over Booker while blood leaked steadily out of bullet holes decorating his back had le drop of blood inh the broken doorway I had to force ht see

She was shaking and she looked like a ghost, but she was upright and only bleeding fro at Dovie in shock, and when Bax pulled the gun out of his girlfriend’s hands and stashed it, I could see why My sister had obviously been beaten pretty soundly, but rather than look broken, sheBrysen’s life and getting suy twice her size was just a minor inconvenience in her busy day When she looked up at Bax and gave hirated herself into this place and into this life She was as much a part of the Point as Bax was

As I scooped Brysen up into my arms and held her while she quaked and shook apart, I knew that eventually she was going to have to ive to this place as well Just like my sister had

“Don’t let o”

Her whisper was so soft I thought I ht have dreaainst her tre mouth, “Never”

Titus was barking orders and trying to direct traffic as Booker and Brysen were loaded up andto need to get stateun from Bax as a bunch of people with jackets with CORONER printed on them joined the chaos I blanked it all out and climbed into the back of the aer Carter wanted to ride with Booker, but Brysen gave uided her into the waiting vehicle with us I didn’t know if Booker was going to s happened here, and yet he signed on for it anyway

Brysen let out a little whi, so I ers in azed down at the injured and battered person we loved

I sighed and put an arirl’s shoulders

“I should have stayed home Should have been there” Or at least told Brysen I had left the gun Booker gave e so she could have had soainst her tormentor

Brysen opened hergroan The paramedic looked at me and then back at her

“Stay still and try not to talk You have a really nasty knot growing on your temple and I noticed you pulled soet you in front of a doctor”

I squeezed her hand and looked down at Karsen when she quietly toldto protectapart for a year I’ ho to happen whether she was there or not Sauy wouldn’t have shown up, maybe he would have waited until Brysen was alone at school and forced her into a car like he did Dovie Maybe he would have tried to run her over again, or pushed her down an even bigger set of stairs Bad things happen, and we just have to figure out how to deal with theone through you just like he did Booker to get to her None of this is your fault, it’s none of our faults I refuse to feel accountable becauseadult—made the choice to drink and drive and ruined that boy’s fa the hard choices It isn’t right that Brysen had to pay for someone else’s mistake”