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“Naw, et out of here and take her to the station”
“No” I clutch his shirt “Do you knohat they’ll do to us if we go to the cops?”
“We have to”
“No! Please, Ollie God, don’t ht of their retaliation
“Quinn, they singled you out and got you alone Do you kno much worse this could’ve ended?”
My chest aches and my shoulders tremble as the sorrow builds up inside ofout of control, and I have no way to pump the brakes Hot tears escape from my eyelids and run down my face as I break The sobs threaten to tear h h it all
“It’s going to be okay We’ll see what Kunes say They’re not going to get aith this shit on my watch”
“Please, please, please” I hiccup “Don’t go to the station They’re watching it I know they are”
“Okay We won’t I’ to take her to my office, brother,” Ollie says as he steersa spectacle of myself I allow him to take the lead
Sinking down in a chair, he pulls me onto his lap and wipes away my tears “Hey You okay?”
“I never even saw it coparanoid Hoe stand a chance against them?”
He shakes his head “We’re going to be scared to death either way, Quinn We owe it to ourselves to stand firm on this That’s how I view it They da to let them punk me and push us into a corner, too? Fuck that” His chest heaves and his voice deepens under the weight of his conviction “Look, I’ to call him, okay?”
“Fine” I know I can’t stop hiht We need help However, I can’t help but feel this is the worst idea
“Hi, Detective, Kunes? This is Oliver Heway There’s been an incident with QuinnNo, we don’t feel safe coht be watched and possibly followed at right nowYes, she was approached at a jobNo, there was no physical altercation, but they et her aloneI’et her to let es and now it’s escalatedI understand those were du up much in the form of protection Do we have a fir timeYeah, I understand Do we have to come in to file a report?No, you can meet us? I think that would be best You choose the tiht at eight o’clock? You got it”
Like or not, the die has been cast, and all I can do is live hat follows An o encases me like ice My blood runs cold, andto test us both