rds "Congratulations, Sarah Miller!" jumpin

om the kitchen of Miller' s Plate, ou

t, Sarah?

ot it, Em! The scholars

made me feel safe, and she pulled me into a hug, smel

d, her voice thick with pri

ck, my everything, since our parents passed, running the diner he and Mom started, keeping us a

ll celebration, when the bell ab

't a cu

collected debts for a living. Art Henderson, the richest, meanest developer in town, had been sniffing

ark sneered, his eyes cold. "St

nt of me, "We're clo

aid, and then t

eamed. Another shoved me hard towards the back o

he door, "Emil

fist, Emily' s cry of pain, the crash o

ng everything. The

my phone, dialing 911, my voic

ter, Miller's Plate on Ma

d, "An officer will be di

? My sister wa

a lesson, boys. Maybe now she' l

rible crash, and E

le

creaming

ore I heard sirens, dist

enched open, not by th

r was a wreck, tables ove

n the floor, curled up, blood

to her, but the

he paramedics

everything fel

, his pen scratching too slowly. He seemed mor

id it?" he asked,

e' s security footage from Mr. Henderson' s store ne

"We'll lo

nown more for his golf games with Art

formation, this looks like it might have been a mutual altercation that got o

They ambushed us! They

son strode in, his expensive suit looking ou

is voice smooth as poison, "terrible bu

d your sister put up a bit of a fight. Shame. We

had the ne

little something for the damages, and of course, we'd expect a

name like i

been simmering ins

ut, "You think you can jus

ly sound. "Honey, we can

eyes. "Miss Miller, perhaps you should consider Mr. He

ze to Mark' s arrogant smirk, to Art

l, maybe dying, and these pe

haking but firm. "I will ne