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Two months earlier …

Victor Channing

“We can’t do this to her,” Aaron says, looking ly smile off my lips He doesn’t stand up to me often; he must really love Bernadette

I ale to keep the emotion to myself

Of course he loves Bernadette

We all do

But none of them more than me

“Do this to her?” Oscar echoes, looking askance at Aaron He’s sitting in the front row of the school theater, iPad in hand, as shrewd and calculating as always More often than not, I let him come up with Havoc’s price He understands numbers and risk in ways I never will I’d trust him with my life

Just … not today

Things are going to be a little different today

“You knohat I ainst to coe I look up at hiood six feet aboveanymore Shit, I haven’t felt real fear since I was five years old “We owe Bern in a e don’t owe anyone else”

“Let’s just give her so easy, smack her ass a bit, and send her on her way,” Hael says, taking a black leather devilit over his face “Shit, I’d pay to kick Principal Vaughn’s ass for her”

I slide ainst the stage, pretending to contemplate their words I’ll admit, when Bernadette stor up those poison-painted lips to call Havoc, I was surprised Then pleased Then desperately, unbelievably sad