Page 72 (1/2)

“He has no alibi He was sick, re”

“I’ll do anything, Winona Please Just help me save him”

Winona stared at her younger sister, seeing how close she was to breaking Vivi Ann had probably never begged for anything before, but Winona kne that felt, that pathetic desperation, how your need warred with your ego, and you wanted to shout, Fuck you, even as you whispered, Please “He needs a criood one I’ll handle his arraignment if you want me to, but after that I’d be in over my head I’m just a small-town civil lawyer—”

“I don’t care about all that What he needs is someone who believes in him That matters more than experience”

And there it was, the thing Winona had thought about as she sat in herseat staring out at the rain, the thing that would break their bond, but there was no way to avoid it “I heard about the fight he got into at Cat’s,” she answered quietly, knowing her words would hurt Vivi Ann and unable to change that This pain was inevitable It had beenon thee

“What do you mean?”

“The night you had Noah, Dallas picked a fight with Erik Engstrom Word was he almost killed him”

“We thought Noah would die that night He was scared”

“He’s dangerous, Vivi Everyone but you can see that,” Winona said evenly “I tried to tell you”

“Is that what this is about? I told you so?”

“No I’ sister”

“Do you actually think he killed her?”

“It doesn’twill break your heart, Vivi Ann You’re not strong enough to—”

“Doesn’t matter?”

Winona wasn’t saying the right things, or in the right way, to make Vivi Ann understand “I’m sorry, Vivi Ann What I mean is, my opinion doesn’t h And there’s probably a conflict of interest He needs—”