Twenty-four
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LILY BLINKED OPEN her eyes, confused and disoriented. Where was she, and what had happened?
She suddenly remembered the brothers, the violence and gun fire, and all the memories came back to her in a rush. She lurched to sitting, but a big gentle hand on her shoulder held her down.
“Shh, Flower, it’s all right. Everything’s all right. You’re safe.”
She twisted her head to find Monster’s beautiful brown eyes gazing down at her. She let out a sob and reached for him, and immediately he caught her up in his arms. She pressed her face into his neck, inhaling the familiar scent of him, and he held her as she trembled.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered into her hair. “I’m so sorry.”
She pulled away, wincing at her injuries as she did so. One half of her face felt swollen, and
