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She froze, wanting nothing more than to run back to her roo a thunderstorer a child She had grown up more in these last weeks—heck, these last twenty-four hours—than she ever thought possible

Turning, she found his gaze in the dark He struggled against the blankets, propping himself up with muscle-thinned arms

“Is everything okay? Is it GG?” he asked, and Abby watched as the knowing flashed in h

is eyes that he no longer needed to wake in the night and worry about her health She no longer needed anything She was no longer with them

He settled hi in the despair threatening to detonate inside of her like a nuclear boled voice, his expression cloaked in sadness and loss—everything about him eak and vulnerable Yet, she knew better At one time, he had been a much different man A monster

The oldback at her in the dark was a brutal killer He once reveled in the pain and suffering of others

Abigail fisted her hands by her side, knowing she needed to confront hi if she could

She pulled oxygen into her lungs and braced herself

“Why?” she asked in a strangled voice

He blinked back at her, confused, which rier somehow He had done this to them He had kept this from them all these years How could he?

She straightened, standing tall, prepared for a firing squad

“Grandpa, I know I know your secret”

A flash of alarlinted in his eyes “I don’t knohat you et back to sleep”

“I don’t need sleep,” she said through gritted teeth, although that couldn’t be further froht’s sleep since GG died

“I need to knohy you did it All of it Actually, no” She held up a treood enough But maybe what I really need to know is Are you sorry? Do you regret it? Is that why you kept it all fro caught and finally held responsible?”