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“Everything’s going to be okay,” I tell her “His car’s here, which means he’s here The bikers haven’t visited thehas happened to hi on here, Natalie, we’ll fix it”

She takes a breath, as though steadying herself, and then nods “Okay, I know Thank you, Nick Honestly, I don’t knohat I’d do without—”

She cuts herself short with a scream, an icy noise that slices the air, the sort of noise that could cause a snowranules It pounds intoinstincts deep inside me to keep her safe, to make sure her body, her wo voice are protected

Turning, I grit aze takes in the fucked-up scene

Terrence stands with his hand on the back of Kenny’s neck, clearly applying soo by Behind hi ready for violence

“Shit, I didn’t expect Santa to come and pay his respects”

He stares at Natalie as he speaks, causing a volcano to rumble inside of me ready to erupt

He has no daht to look at her like that

Or at all

“Little girl, I hear you’ve been telling some tall tales about me I think it’s time we sorted that out Don’t you?”

Chapter Fourteen

Natalie

“Don’t you fucking talk to her like that,” Nick snarls fro a step forward

Terrence laughs in the coldest way I’ve ever heard, low and bitter like he doesn’t care if the whole world catches fire He grins over at Nick as he tightens his grip on Kenny’s neck, causing a swirling mess of panic to twist my insides

My brother’s face is pinched tight in pain

“Ah, so thebehind hi to do with you, tough guy, so you better step the fuck away”

“I’to explode

I can’t let this happen I can’t let them do this to him, hurt him like this

It isn’t fair

“Please,” I whi to Terrence “Don’t hurt him”