te ceiling pressing down on me. Maria was sitting in a

an, her voice soft. "I didn't

y throat raw. "What was

mposure. "Your grandfather... he had a moment of

I demanded, though I a

e felt a great deal of pity for him. The near-death experience, h

y grandfather despised Ryan. He saw him for the parasite he was.

ying," I

he wanted, Caleb. You're not

crisp U.S. Marshal's uniform, a symbol of authority and credibility. She used her status as my "savior" to lend an air of legitim

During a quiet moment, he stumbled toward the open ca

pulling a small, ornate letter opener from his pock

rked. My relatives gasped. Maria rushed to his

cusations are pushing this poor man over the edge!" She held Ryan, comforting him, and

my own grandfather's funera