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There was a moment of stunned silence, then Lissa said his name He heard the quiet fear in her voice and felt a stab of regret so strong and sharp, he alo shattered like glass, sending thousands of clear, invisible shards scattering around his feet

With a certainty that sickened and shamed him, he knew he'd killed those people He kneithout a doubt that he hadn't meant to hurt theround, his intentions and his sickness didn't mean shit

The ht washed over hi Johns?

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had he really been naive enough to believe it was from his scraped hand? The ht cah his brain He reun, propped in the corner of the barn So out of place, so forgotten The nightht, and so fast, with icy-cold fingers that seeht?only feeling, acting on i a blackout his mind turned into a morass of fear and darkness and desperation Maybe he'd taken the gun, thinking he was shooting Johnny's killer Who the hell knehat had gone on in his mind?

Who the hell knew? He knew only that he'd been right to believe the worst of himself all those years

He squeezed his eyes shut, battling a near-crippling flood of rerief for the Dwyer faive me I never meant to hurt anyone

Lissa caht?"

He didn't dare look at her He was afraid it would all be revealed in his eyes?the fear, the dread, the ache Even soret-filled remnant of hope The only voice he could find was flat and lifeless, like the scratchy rustling of long-dead leaves "No"

He pulled his aro

"Wait, Jack?"

He didn't slon "I'll get the wagon hitched We'll leave in fifteen minutes"

Jack strode into the barn, every step reverberating up his spine like a haed cant of a