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His forear past each other, a slight scraping sound audible over the fire “Then what do you want to do?”

“Kill him”

He quickly hung his head “I can’t do that”

“Why not? After what he did to Beatrice and—”

“Trust h like sandpaper, hostile like a loaded gun “You have no idea what I want to do to every freak in that godforsaken place But that’s not an option Don’t ask ain”

“Why?”

“Because I said so” He raised his head, his look furious

“I meant, why is that not an option?”

After a long silence, he gave a subtle shake of his head “It’s complicated”

“Do you do business with them?”

His blue eyes locked on to mine, his presence as solid as the statues in Hell “Not personally”

“Then your friend…Bartholomew?”

“He’s not my friend”

“Whatever Is that why?”

“Yes He was the reason I found Claire He didn’t do it as a favor—because I owe hiave my word not to retaliate in any way And I will keep it Instead of going on a killing spree, I’ll spend tihter It’s over”

It would never be over for me “I have friends that are still there…”

“I’m sorry” He didn’t seeet about them They would want you to”

“No, they wouldn’t” I pictured theether in that church, the Malevolent blocked fro the s, like e “If it were et o about their lives and enjoy their freedo happened”

“Then go to the police—”

“That’s a dead end…and you probably already know that”

He looked away, aduilt

“Do they pay off the police or so?”

“It’s…complicated”

“I doubt it’s that complicated—”

“I said I would help you, not give you a lesson in the underground crianizations of France”

Going to the police was pointless because these guys were irls out of there—at least, not on my own

“How else can I help you?” He looked at ether