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Dane said, “My office next, then the entire floor”

Dane pressed the ice pack to ain He leftas well Then we headed downstairs

Brandon brought around the SUV and Dane dis with a hearty tip for the extra hours he’d put in

I still burned with pain as we drove to the creek house It was even an effort to speak “So they know about me”

“Obviously” Dane was about to take angst to all-new levels He was incredibly tense, reatly

“Thatus for a while”

“Possibly”

“Possibly?” I shot back, turning in the seat to face hiest scare factors—rattlesnakes and scorpions And guess what? That’s exactly what I got scared by!”

“Ari—”

“No! Do not try to calm me down!”

I started crying again

“Fine” His tone was strained I couldn’t help but think of the conversation we’d had after the snake in the stairwell I already felt the wrath building He would find out as behind this—and I had no doubt they’d pay dearly for what they’d done to me

I couldn’t reconcile how I felt about that Instead, I asked, “What does As?”

“He has equipment Knows to check for phone taps, too He did it frequently at my parents’ estate”