4
Rye
Damn it all to hell. What a f*****g mess. And yet … what a f*****g miracle. Even with all her efforts at disguise, my body knew her. I'd followed some sixth sense here to the garden shed, where the most godawful scene in the world knocked all sense out of me. When I saw Freddie Marks manhandling Lauren, the world turned crimson red. Next thing I knew, he was on the floor and my knuckles hurt like hell.
I hoped I hadn't killed him, and yet I wouldn't mind if he was dead. How dare he touch Lauren like that?
Then she looked up at me and spoke my name, and sheer panic swept through me.
She couldn't be here. If Uncle Chris found out, he'd do something insane. He'd hurt her or threaten her—use her in whatever way he could. The man was pathological. I had to convince her to go away. An
