d it in

seconds, she wasn't supposed to look. But the flash of color caught her eye, a corner of paper beneath a pi

yn's first day. Welcome to our house, written i

per, smudging the pencil le

on the floor an

ond anger. It was the specific, cold fury of watching

osion of David's already-thin regard for her. But she would not let him have Korey. She wou

ay and put her should

all was satisfying in a way

guitar, tuning a peg. He didn't flinch. He looked

ehind his eyes. N

pressed the crumpled draw

between his feet. He looked do

rbage,"

lly, any other way, and I call the social worker tonight. I tell her you have violent outbursts. I te

e contact was already on

s dropped t

her face f

n't fi

g as she took him with her. That was a kind of threat he had never encountered, because it could

ght he had, stepped into her space

at this house, Karyn watched something mov

eat of his body was an almost physical presence. He looked at her mouth. Th

e said throu

nded like a

do you

ainst the wood and her

exactly wha

first time,