Blood From a Stone (69 page)

S
he
t
ook
h
i
s
a
r
m and
sa
i
d,
“
O
k
a
y
.
B
ut
S
asha
w
il
l
y
ou s
t
ay
at
m
y
house
‘
ti
l
I
g
et
t
he
r
e
and
m
a
k
e
su
r
e
he
’
s
a
l
ri
g
h
t
?
I
m
ean
he
’
s
p
r
obab
l
y
been
l
one
l
y
a
l
l
day
i
n
t
he
house,
and
i
f
y
ou
j
ust
co
m
e
and
g
o
t
oo
f
ast
he
m
i
g
ht
g
et
u
p
set
at
be
i
ng
l
e
f
t a
l
one
a
g
a
i
n
so
soon.
A
nd
I hope
t
o
G
od
he
’
s
houseb
r
o
k
en enou
g
h
t
o ha
v
e
not
g
one
a
l
l
o
v
er
t
he
fl
oor
and hasn
’
t
t
o
r
n up an
y
t
h
i
n
g
.”

S
asha
nodded.
“
Y
eah,
I
’l
l
s
t
a
y
…and
y
es,
I
’l
l
c
l
ean up any
m
esses
he
’
s
m
ade.
A
h,
w
e
ll
.
S
o
m
uch
f
or
s
l
eep
i
n
g
i
n
m
y o
w
n
bed!
I
’
m
j
ust
g
o
i
ng
t
o
bunk
i
n
at
y
our
p
l
ace
a
g
a
i
n
i
f
t
ha
t’
s
o
k
a
y
.
I
t’
s
a
lr
eady a
ft
er
11
and
by
t
he
ti
m
e
y
ou
g
et
ho
m
e
it’l
l
be ahe
m
…
l
a
t
e.”

“
Y
ou
a
lr
eady
k
now
y
ou
‘r
e
w
e
l
co
m
e
t
o
s
t
ay o
v
er
any
ti
m
e,”
W
ill
ow
sa
i
d.
S
he
s
m
il
ed
sheep
i
sh
l
y
,
f
ee
li
ng
g
u
ilt
y
at
t
he
t
hou
g
ht
of
poor
S
asha
s
t
uck c
l
ean
i
ng up
t
o
r
n
up
p
ill
o
w
s
or
m
a
y
be
dog poop
w
h
il
e
she
w
as
out
ha
v
i
n
g
, hope
f
u
l
l
y
,
a
n
i
ce
ti
m
e.

S
asha
g
r
abbed
S
a
m
son
‘
s
a
r
m
.
“
B
e
f
o
r
e
y
o
u
g
o,
I
k
now
t
h
i
s
m
i
g
ht
seem
so
r
t
of
l
a
t
e
i
n
t
he
g
a
m
e,
but
can
I see
y
our
l
i
cense?”
she
he
l
d
her
hand
ou
t
.
“I
w
ant
t
o
see
y
o
u
r
add
r
ess, so
i
f
an
y
t
h
i
ng
happens
t
o
he
r
,
I
k
now
w
he
r
e
t
o
co
m
e
t
o
k
i
ck
y
our
ass.”

W
ill
o
w
’
s
m
ou
t
h d
r
opped open at
S
asha
’
s b
l
a
t
ant de
m
and
but
S
asha
shushed
he
r
.
“
L
i
s
t
en,
I
k
now
he s
t
a
y
ed o
v
er
l
ast
n
i
g
h
t
,  and  he  cou
l
d  ha
v
e  done 
G
od
-
k
no
w
s
-
w
hat
a
nd d
i
dn
’t
.
B
ut
w
e
ba
r
e
l
y
k
now
h
i
m
,
and
s
i
nce
I
’
m send
i
ng
y
ou a
w
ay
i
n
h
i
s
ca
r
….”
S
he
r
a
i
sed
her
b
r
o
w
s
and
sh
r
u
gg
e
d
as
she
t
u
r
ned
back
t
o
S
a
m
son.
“
T
h
i
s
g
ir
l
i
s
m
y best
fri
en
d
.
S
he
’
s
li
k
e
m
y
s
i
s
t
er
and I
i
n
t
end
t
o
m
a
k
e su
r
e she
’
s
sa
f
e.”

S
a
m
son
l
au
g
hed
g
ood
-
na
t
u
r
ed
l
y
.
I
n past
Aw
a
k
e
n
i
n
g
s, he
cou
l
d
ha
v
e
su
r
e
l
y
g
ua
r
an
t
eed
t
hat
t
he
r
e
w
ou
l
d
be
no
sa
f
e
t
y
f
or
her
fri
end
fr
om h
i
s
ad
v
ances,
h
i
s
w
il
d
an
ti
cs,
or
h
i
s co
n
f
ec
ti
ona
r
y
li
es,
shou
l
d
t
hey co
m
e
i
n
hand
y
.
B
ut
he
r
e and no
w
,
he
f
ound
i
t
s
tr
an
g
e
and
a
b
i
t
unse
ttli
ng
t
hat
h
i
s
i
n
t
en
ti
ons
w
e
r
e
qu
it
e
t
a
m
e,
and
he
had
t
o
g
i
v
e
S
asha c
r
ed
i
t
fo
r
her
m
ox
i
e
i
n p
r
o
t
ec
ti
ng
her
fri
end.