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?Wanda??Jared repeated in a low voice that was almost a snarl
There were more dirty figures in the hall behind himI only noticed them when they echoed his
snarl with an outraged muttering
A blond head rose from the frozen audiencePaige lurched to her feet?Andy!? she cried, and
stumbled through the figures seated around herOne of the dirty men stepped around Jared and
caught her as she nearly fell over Wes?Oh, Andy!? she sobbed, the tone of her voice reminding
me of Melanie's
Paige's outburst changed the atmosphere momentarilyThe silent crowd began to murmur,
most of them rising to their feetThe sound was one of welcome now, as the majority went to
greet the returned travelersI tried to read the strange expressions on their faces as they louis vuitton monogram groom compact zipped wallet forced
grins onto their lips and peeked furtively back at meI realized after a long, slow second?time
seemed to be congealing around me, freezing me into place?that the expression I wondered at
wasguilt
?It's going to be okay, Wanda,? Ian murmured under his breath
I glanced at him wildly, searching for that same guilt on his faceI didn't find it, only a
defensive tightening around his vivid eyes as he stared at the newcomers
?What the hell, people?? a new voice boomed
Kyle?easily identifiable by his size despite the grime?was shoving his way around Jared and
heading toward? me
?You're letting it tell you its lies? Have you all gone crazy? Or did it lead the Seekers here? Are
youall parasites now??
Many heads fell forward, ashamedOnly a gucci purse few kept their chins stiffly in the air, their shoulders
squared: Lily, Trudy, Heath, Wes? and frail Walter, of all people
?Easy, Kyle,? Walter said in his feeble voiceHe walked with deliberate steps toward me, his eyes, the same vibrant cobalt
as his brother's, glowing with rageI couldn't keep my eyes on him, though?they kept returning
to Jared's dark shape, trying to read his camouflaged face
Melanie's love flowed through me like a lake bursting through a dam, distracting me even more
from the enraged barbarian closing the distance quickly
Ian slid into my view, moving to place himself in front of meI strained my neck to the side to
keep my view of Jared clear
?Things changed while you were gone, brother
Kyle halted, face slack with rolex watches gmt master disbelief?Did the Seekers come, then, Ian??
?She's not a danger to us
Kyle ground his teeth together, and from the corner of my eye, I saw him reach for something in
his pocket
This captured my attention at lastI cringed, expecting a weaponThe words stumbled off my
tongue in a choked whisper?Don't get in his way, Ian
Ian didn't respond to my pleaI was surprised at the amount of anxiety this caused me, at how
much I didn't want him hurtIt wasn't the instinctive protection, the bone-deepneed to protect,
that I felt for Jamie or even JaredI just knew that Ian should not be harmed trying to protect
me
Kyle's hand came back up, and a light shone out of itHe pointed it at Ian's face, held it there
for a momentIan didn't flinch from the light
?So, chanel denim bag what, then?? Kyle demanded, putting the flashlight back in his pocket?You're not a
parasiteHow did it get to you??
?Calm down, and we'll tell you all about it
The contradiction did not come from Kyle but from behind himI watched Jared walk slowly
toward us through the silent spectatorsAs he got closer, Jamie still clinging to his hand with a
bewildered expression, I could read his face better under the mask of dirtEven Melanie, all but
delirious with happiness at his safe return, could not misunderstand the expression of loathing
there
Jeb had wasted his efforts on the wrong peopleIt didn't matter that Trudy or Lily was speaking
to me, that Ian would put himself between his brother and me, that Sharon and Maggie made no
hostile move fake gucci bags towar |