Kill Switch by Penelope Douglas

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ago didn’t make me tough and quickly adaptable to changeand new challenges with a hard heart ready to fight for all thethings they told me I couldn’t have and couldn’t do.Maybe that’s why Damon treated me like I wasn’t made ofglass. Maybe he knew.I thought back to the boy in the fountain, bloody with asilent tear streaming down his face, because something—ormany things—happened to him that he didn’t want to talkabout, and now he was nearly a man who would never cryagain and only made other people bleed.I hated him, and I would never forgive him, but maybe wehad that one thing in common. We had to change to survive.
WinterPresent“Arms up!” Tara called out.I reached up, leaping across the floor, the muscles in myback and shoulders stretching tight as I tilted my head backand my face toward the sky.“There’s the energy!” she shouted. “Let me see it again!GGood!”I exhaled as I hit the ground again, my right foot landingon the border of sandpaper lining the perimeter of the “stage”to signal when I was within two feet of the edge. Beyond that,there was another six-inch-wide border to alert me I had nomore room and to stop.Sweat trickled down my back, and I swung around,veering right again as I stepped, glided, and then arched myback before coming up on one toe and stretching high for amoment’s pose and coming down again to continue the dance.The music filled the room, my unconventional number ofNostalghia’s “Plastic Heart” choreographed by me and soonto-beperformed at nowhere for no one.No one would hire me. I tried to stay positive, especiallysince I needed out of here more than ever, but it was getting
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Penelope DouglasCopyright © 2019 P
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Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23Chapt
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“37 Stitches” by Drowning Pool
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“There is a reason why all things
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WinterMy ballet slipper brushes the
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All you’ve gotta say is ‘Hello
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Finally, he drops his hand and inha
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But Madame insisted we keep our ful
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Why is he in the fountain?“Damon?
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It was the last day I was me as I k
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gone this far. This was all just re
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occasion we need to play the couple
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He wasn’t calm anymore.The door o
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come home and focus on dancing, tra
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“He only married Arion because sh
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“Yeah.”“Don’t stop.” I sh
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“Excuse me?” Ethan interjected.
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It wasn’t Damon.“GGabriel?” I
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dressed in was now soft, like cotto
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before taking the cash and jewelry
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Taking the bag from her with my uni
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Images of her loose, little bun com
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her black heels, and I held in my s
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I held it up, speaking softly. “Y
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her whimper. “I just want you to
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Hiking up her skirt the rest of the
Page 55 and 56: hallway. Nausea rolled through my s
Page 57 and 58: Her. A bastard gutter rat who would
Page 59 and 60: I checked the time on my phone, see
Page 61 and 62: She came up alongside her mother an
Page 63 and 64: DamonPresent“Ten moves and you ha
Page 65 and 66: Did she like another man touching h
Page 67 and 68: her hands tucked into the pockets.
Page 69 and 70: looking down at her. “Knowing tha
Page 71 and 72: How naïve she still is. “Not eve
Page 73 and 74: They stood up, heaving sighs of agg
Page 75 and 76: I raised my eyebrows, waving the ci
Page 77 and 78: “Do you know how much Will bled i
Page 79 and 80: I winced, and I couldn’t inhale.
Page 81 and 82: laugh.She was hardly afraid of me a
Page 83 and 84: Blonde hair, blue eyes, same age, s
Page 85 and 86: “Yes, I don’t really want to ki
Page 87 and 88: box Rika had held and noticed there
Page 89 and 90: WinterSeven Years Ago“So you coul
Page 91 and 92: She must’ve seen a look on my fac
Page 93 and 94: together this afternoon, too, kind
Page 95 and 96: side, and tears sprang to my eyes a
Page 97 and 98: “GGuys, come on, leave her alone.
Page 99 and 100: Oh, my God. I let the rosary go lik
Page 101 and 102: with their eyes, their hands, their
Page 103 and 104: “Anything at all?” he pressed.
Page 105: what he was doing. And he did it an
Page 109 and 110: And she took my hands and placed th
Page 111 and 112: I wanted to see if you’d dance fo
Page 113 and 114: wedding, he could still come and go
Page 115 and 116: His body came in closer, though, fo
Page 117 and 118: I hadn’t spoken to my family much
Page 119 and 120: Holding him.In their eyes, I’d wa
Page 121 and 122: Turning on my side, I adjusted the
Page 123 and 124: “You gave your dog a Russian name
Page 125 and 126: “So, let’s go, then,” I chall
Page 127 and 128: “Fuck you!”He grabbed the back
Page 129 and 130: I jerked away from his hands. “It
Page 131 and 132: “Everyone else is gone, leaving h
Page 133 and 134: Yeah, there was an accident when we
Page 135 and 136: Will faltered a moment and then lau
Page 137 and 138: Kai sat down at the table, drinking
Page 139 and 140: She then looked at me, opened her r
Page 141 and 142: fathers in this town. The girls who
Page 143 and 144: to one side, various hesitant but s
Page 145 and 146: were family, and we had each other
Page 147 and 148: “So glad I didn’t bring Abby to
Page 149 and 150: Hope she had the good sense to be s
Page 151 and 152: wall of large windows sat to my lef
Page 153 and 154: since we were kids. Popular with a
Page 155 and 156: It wasn’t a sound I could describ
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Why wasn’t he talking?I inhaled a
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His masked voice was like a breeze
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there with you?” he asked.I knitt
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“Don’t walk away from me!” so
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I cried quietly, their voices dulle
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Then my hand knocked a model, and C
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DamonPresent“So this is Women, GG
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She was beautiful.And bright. Her d
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I swallowed. “The way…the way I
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I gripped the window frame, scowlin
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“You think you can stop me?” I
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every muscle in my gut against his
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hands were all over her, and his to
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The walls were closing in. I couldn
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I dove in, catching his bottom lip
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That’s the only way you can conne
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didn’t have to live in that cold
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My throat swelled with the vomit ri
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So I would stay the course. My moth
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WinterPresent“Where are you takin
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She had no idea what he could do. A
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“We want you,” Arion said, inte
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The voices in the next room were ba
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The chill in the air seeped through
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new haunted theme park, especially
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But everything sounded distant. The
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clothes suddenly chafing my skin. M
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jeans as it rolled over my clit. I
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WinterSeven Years Ago“Ugh, I hate
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it excited me. Because I never had
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“I don’t know,” I answered in
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When it ended, the air felt cold al
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and ready to run if I had to.His ha
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“Tall, dark, young,” I commente
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I shook my head at myself. I was ou
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in my ear made it all go away. How
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His legs shifted under me, his hand
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My shoulders relaxed just a little,
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An engine started to rumble from fa
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“No,” he growled in a loud whis
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in the car was with my sister, but
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“A friend.”I put my hands on hi
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Just maybe, it was exactly what I
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I tipped my head to the side, heari
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“She is none of your concern.”
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was AWOL. I imagined these things m
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“Do you like her?” I pressed, g
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Someone bumped into me, knocking my
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out. Arms up, feet moving from one
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“Did you have fun?” I asked, he
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I jerked my chin at Crane, and he s
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Don’t walk away. Please, I want t
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WinterSeven Years Ago“I can alway
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“Maybe his heart already belongs
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motorcycle. Or wrapped tightly in h
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I snorted but quickly got rid of my
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I inched to the right side of the h
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“You did this?” I asked, realiz
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Mommy?”“Mommy?” he repeated.
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I sucked in a breath and straighten
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I turned my face away, breathing ha
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I hated him. I hated his vile words
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I checked her bed and her lamps, he
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My heart was trying to jump out of
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smelled spacious with lots of fresh
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And I stood there, no longer wincin
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“See you soon, Winter,” he taun
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missing,” I told him. “Would yo
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I set out a bowl of food for Mikhai
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What did he see?I spaced off, feeli
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The flesh of my nipples grew taut,
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DamonPresentI leaned over the batht
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She thought she was strong. She tho
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She caresses my face and shoulders,
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She doesn’t wait for my answer, t
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And I shove her head into the mirro
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“Tell her the truth,” I said, s
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Fuckin’ Rika.“Stay,” I told C
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bouts are the only time I feel like
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“Fucking little monster,” I mut
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It kind of just came out, but I tho
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WinterFive Years Ago“All set?”
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He’d lost interest.He’d had his
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And I spun around, heading back dow
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would ever drive. Agile, fast, quic
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“Nothing,” I said again. “I d
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“Hold your legs?”Air rushed int
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I just wanted to go home.“We like
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“Oh, shit,” Miles suddenly said
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He nodded. “I show up to see you
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I was fast and clumsy, and I couldn
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Normally, I hated when people handl
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DamonFive Years AgoWe left Anderson
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“Nothing destructive,” she orde
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“So you have a sister,” she inq
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Oh, Jesus. She sounded almost hopef
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Using my shoulder to keep herself s
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front door.I braked, pressing in th
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that my obsession was a no-win situ
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“Alright,” her mother interject
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Wrapping my arm around her, I broug
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I stripped off the rest of my cloth
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“Can you be gentle?” she asked,
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She got faster and faster, started
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But she just stayed quiet, not elab
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My phone was still downstairs—hop
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etchings, making for an easier grip
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distance fading away. My hand shook
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Maybe he had another woman. Another
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I hate you.He fell into me, pushing
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It wasn’t just any night on the C
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Whatever. I was sure I’d deal wit
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A whiff of air hit my ear, followed
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But I didn’t get a chance to find
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But just then, I stepped in somethi
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My lips hovered over the mouth of h
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GGod, he felt so good. My body jerk
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How could I have just done that? Wh
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my history and women could either b
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decisions and had all the fun. Will
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Was Michael doing anything? Of cour
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And then I taunted Kai. “Still ab
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Plopping the dead weight down, I gr
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chest.He just sat there, looking do
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passion for thrills, and the same d
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you’re bad for liking it when you
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A sob escaped her, and I gripped th
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DamonFive Years AgoI blew out smoke
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Or, at least her father was out. Th
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I did anyway, though. I’d told th
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Don’t stay, I told myself. And do
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She’d looked pretty good, actuall
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“We can take what we want from yo
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“Kai,” she gasped, a shred of h
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It gets hard when I do that. That m
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I killed the lights and slowed the
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“The scars on your body…” she
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But she sighed, looking ready to cr
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“What’s the matter?” she aske
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She knew something was wrong. She w
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I tried to move toward her. “Wint
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WinterFive Years AgoMy hands shook
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the village square… All of it was
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But I’d been willing with someone
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The night was still so clear, like
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goddamn heart, because it wouldn’
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WinterPresentI sat in the theater,
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“Alex told me after the haunted h
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Had she honestly believed that shit
Page 455 and 456:
I sucked in a breath as it flung op
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Take the family who left me here wi
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I put the pieces together. His dog
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up, and drew in a lungful of air, f
Page 463 and 464:
But not answering the question, eit
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“Hey, it’s America.” Will lea
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Will and Kai stood up after him, ga
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It was real, and I wanted it again.
Page 471 and 472:
Someone climbed the stairs behind m
Page 473 and 474:
We run deep into the backyard, our
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“I did not.”God, I’m so embar
Page 477 and 478:
We sit there, quiet, and observing
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“You don’t speak to him, and yo
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I just never seemed to come out of
Page 483 and 484:
I wanted to fight and scream and la
Page 485 and 486:
although I left my phone in Will’
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“You don’t have to sugarcoat it
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hanging in the air, and I trailed c
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caring that I was loud and clumsy.
Page 493 and 494:
I kissed him, caressing his tongue
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reached around and spread my thighs
Page 497 and 498:
“Why?” I asked.“Because of Wi
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instantly recognizing the Braille.M
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twice. I knew he was smart. I just
Page 503 and 504:
I felt the bed, not finding her, so
Page 505 and 506:
“Do you care?” he replied. And
Page 507 and 508:
And then a pain hit my side under m
Page 509 and 510:
I blinked away the spots in my visi
Page 511 and 512:
waiting.Where was Will? Why were th
Page 513 and 514:
I didn’t have time to see who was
Page 515 and 516:
She laughed a little. “You wouldn
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who knew how long it would last. If
Page 519 and 520:
Banks and Rika wandered about, offe
Page 521 and 522:
“What are you doing?” he asked,
Page 523 and 524:
Was that a dream? Where was Winter?
Page 525 and 526:
Reaching down, I peeled away the su
Page 527 and 528:
He laughed as Banks walked around m
Page 529 and 530:
Blood trailed down the back of my h
Page 531 and 532:
But she kept talking. “And he kno
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DamonPresentSince we knew my father
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He was quiet, and I looked over at
Page 537 and 538:
The car jostled under us as the men
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my side started to ache, so I put m
Page 541 and 542:
“You still handy with that crowba
Page 543 and 544:
“Hello?” he answered.“Take an
Page 545 and 546:
Winter started panting in short, sh
Page 547 and 548:
My knees shook as I made my way bac
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Please.I pushed at the door.Please.
Page 551 and 552:
DamonPresentWe stumbled toward the
Page 553 and 554:
My jeans stuck to my skin, but the
Page 555 and 556:
We all blew out, our bodies melted
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around her like she was all he had
Page 559 and 560:
WinterPresentWe almost died. A half
Page 561 and 562:
Will layered his lips with mine.
Page 563 and 564:
My stomach rose and fell in heavy b
Page 565 and 566:
The head of his cock pushed inside
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“I didn’t even think about it u
Page 569 and 570:
I laid there, listening to the sile
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What were we doing in that fountain
Page 573 and 574:
“Kai,” she answered quietly.
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mood.He knelt down, coming down to
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DamonPresent“Ugh, what the fuck?
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in the streets,” she bit out. “
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And then she put my mask on top.I l
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We stopped at the light, the villag
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She threw another grenade, pink smo
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I knew we’d have to take down the
Page 589 and 590:
coughed and worried about staining
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We darted up the staircase, pushed
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I looked behind me at my sister who
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He lit his cigar, the puffs of smok
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wasn’t my mother in his eyes.In h
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I pulled it out and stuck it in aga
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Hours later, I’d received medical
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That was why they hadn’t taken sa
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Moving around her, I wrapped my arm
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Marrying Ari got me into the house
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I headed past the concessions and t
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We walked around the corner of the
Page 613 and 614:
I dumped my phone back in the conso
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She was right to warn her off. To t
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This changes nothing, just don’t
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No answer, though. I sent a text, l
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make it a year and was now annulled
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I notice she wears a tutu—everyth
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She stops biting, explaining it to
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Winter’s mouth hovered over mine,
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*This is a preview of Nightfall, th
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Bile stung my throat, every horror
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leave. Did you get left behind?”I
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everything we need to survive, but
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Thank you for reading!And thank you
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Dear Misha,So, have I ever told you
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I go back and finish the last part,
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Well, how about a phone call then,
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And she has her fucking earbuds in,
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I shoot my glare farther up the roa
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I glance up and nod at a guy standi
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I feel his eyes on me, the challeng
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I straighten my back, my chest risi
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Her hair is long and straight—not
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He turns back to Ryen and smiles.
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on mine, and I can feel her breath
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Punk 57 is currently available on K
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To the PenDragons—you’re my hap
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Penelope Douglas is a New York Time
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Kill Switch by Penelope Douglas

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