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she d committed a crime. If only they knew the life she d really lived behind closed
doors.
Hell, they did know, they just hadn t cared. All those people staring goggle-eyed at
her right now were adults she d trusted. They should have protected her. Instead, they d
turned a blind eye. Maybe they were the biggest reason she d run the second she d gotten
the chance.
It takes a village to raise a child&
Where had her village been?
Just let me find my father and brother and then we can leave, she murmured. It
was plain to see there was nothing left for her here. Even the deputy sheriff, Blake
Anderson, who stood off in one corner, turned his head when she looked at him. At least
he had the decency to look ashamed by the behavior in the room.
I think I saw em in the kitchen, someone snarled.
Chris did her best to ignore the attitude for which she d done nothing to deserve. She
straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin and headed for the booming sound of her
sloshed father.
Some memorial this was for a woman who shouldn t have had to give her life to the
man who beat her every night.
Jon pushed through the swinging door and they were greeted by the same reaction
they d had in the living room. Dead silence.
Her father s lip curled up in distaste when he saw her. He took a long swig of the
half-empty beer bottle he held, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, belched and
then tossed the bottle in the air, flipping it end over end. He caught it upside down by the
neck and threw it in Chris s direction like he was throwing a hatchet.
Everything happened at once. She screamed, TJ yanked her toward his chest,
covering her head with his hands, and Jon launched himself across the room at Robert
Marshall with a primal yell. The glass bottle shattered against the wall and tinkled to the
ground.
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The Strength of Three
Her brother, Carter, stomped across the kitchen, ignoring Jon, who subdued her
father with minimal effort against the sink, one arm thrust up and back behind him.
Robert howled in pain, screeching for Jon to get the fuck off him.
The door flew open. Deputy Anderson had one hand on his gun and probably ten
looky-loos behind him.
What the fuck are you doing here? Carter roared at Chris, raising a hand to slap
her.
Chris cowered.
She didn t need to. TJ grabbed Carter s hand before it had the chance to make its
sweep and bent it backward, bringing Carter to his knees.
You better get some handcuffs out, Deputy, or I can t guarantee I won t break this
arm. TJ s expression was one she d never seen on him before. Feral might best describe
it. Yet his words were calm.
She fucking killed her. Carter s howl was punctuated by a vicious bend to his arm
and a yelp of pain.
Deputy Anderson took his time retrieving the cuffs at his belt. There was something
on his face. Almost a look of& satisfaction? Shock held her immobile.
How can you accuse me of this? She expected the rejection, even hatred or
violence from her father he probably felt the need to turn on someone since his
punching bag was gone now, but not accusation, and certainly not from her brother. She
hadn t even been there, for God s sake. The tears threatened to start up again.
Kind of hard to kill someone from a state away, Jon threw over his shoulder.
She could see neither of her protectors had broken a sweat yet her brother was
practically in tears on the floor.
My mother hated her for leaving. Spittle shot from Carter s mouth.
Shut the fuck up, boy. Robert attempted to turn around only to have Jon jerk his
arm higher. He gave a drunken hiss.
If she had stayed, this wouldn t have happened. Carter s eyes bugged and sweat
coated his face.
What wouldn t have happened, Carter? Deputy Anderson asked.
She wouldn t have fallen down the fucking stairs, you moron. She was always
moaning and wailing about that bitch. He stabbed a finger in Chris s direction.
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Annmarie McKenna
A thousand thoughts went through her head, the topmost being what had she done?
Had she killed her mother even if inadvertently?
Deputy Anderson stepped closer, admiring the hold TJ had on Carter, but still not
attempting to handcuff her brother.
I was so fucking sick of her pathetic whining. You d think Christina was a princess
the way she talked about her, Carter spat.
The tears fell. Her mother had loved her after all. She d never said the words to her,
or shown her with hugs, but for Carter to be spouting what he was, Lana had to have felt
something for her only daughter.
So what did you do? the deputy asked, obviously looking for something. A
confession, maybe?
Nothing that we shouldn ta done sooner, her father screamed.
Chris gasped as did the onlookers behind them all.
Anderson sighed as if he d had enough and slipped the cuffs from his belt. He
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