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Chapter One

Handcuffs and bear spray

Knots didn’t twist in my stoht I would have been There was a level of freedo else and givingof blissful peace

The guy behind ainst me in the lineup to deplane Ito escape the mouth breather The plane, that had been far too cool in the air, was noeaty pit of anxious people ready to leave the confines of the narroay

I lugged e pickup e finally started walking The people surrounding me looked either tired or excited Only a few seemed like they were unsure of what to feel, like me

I dragged my white-blonde hair back into a ponytail The e-claiainst the ht it with me everywhere

I would mace mouth breather’s ass in a heartbeat

Danny, ht me a special blend of bear spray that was supposed to be lethal I watched theme I stared hi a skin suit I saw Silence of the Lambs I knew about the lotion on the back

Bags started to go round the conveyor belt, when I finally toreplace I reached and heaved nized the pink bow my mom had tied on it

My shoulder burned within seconds of carrying it to the exits, behind the herd of people leaving

“I can get that for you Give you a ride to wherever you’re going?”

I sighed and preparedguy with a red beard

I grinned, “Thanks, but I have a ride”

He nodded at the reasy, fat face hiding behind a pillar “Stay away fro some creepy shit ere on the plane”

I looked at the disturbing fat guy and weighed my options If he was on the bus with ht a cab he could folloith another cab My guts said the redhead was the better option I handed hio”

I could take this guy, maybe He was thinner andstalker Either way, there was panic and instability flying through my brain I had to take deep breaths

My mind whispered traitorous lies, like I hadto be I kneasn’t true I was brave I had proved that already once Maybe more than once

I followed the redhead to the short-ter lot He turned back, “Name’s Mick”

I slanced at my watch, I wanted to be at the apartave me six minutes I scowled as he looked at me “Student?”

I nodded, starting to worry What if he wasn’t the nice, red-bearded young man he seemed to be?

He beamed, “Me too I’m in the marine bio master’s You?” Never ht about the fact he had a beard Divers rarely had beards—right? “Law”

“At Northeastern?” I nodded and he nodded back, “Cool, me too” He walked to a black truck, “This is me”

I slung s in the back, “I really appreciate this, Mick”

He shook his head, “I got a sister, dude If she ever got ogled by some fat fuck like that, I’d choke his ass”

I chuckled and climbed into the truck

“You know Boston?”

He nodded, “Yeah, I did inally” He started the truck and laughed, “I can tell by the paranoid wild eyes on you, that this is your first trip, huh?”

I did up my seat belt and shook my head, “I came with my family in the summer for orientation” I didn’t want him to think I was completely at his mercy I had come for orientation and for my father’s marathon years before Of course, both ti at old buildings I hadn’t actually paid attention to anything

He backed out and drove off, a bit too fast for

I studied him for a second, “You allowed beards in ?”

He shook his head and stroked the long, scraggly bush, “Nope Gotta shave in a couple weeks when school starts” He scratched and ran his hands over it all, “Had a bitch of a time in Bali this summer ‘cause of it My passport picture has no beard”

I started to relax He seemed like a stoner “What’s your sister’s name?”

He gave lance, “Lisa She’s a total bitch She’s sixteen and co the whole house I went home for a week and I was ready to murder her” He chuckled, “Sorry I’ to say to a random chick”