Page 172 of Stains of Desire

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I blink hard so I don't cry. "Did you have fun with them?"

"Yes. Emilia and I buried Malin in snow."

"You did?"

She smiles. "But we dug him out so he could make hot chocolate."

"That sounds nice."

She throws her arms around me. "This is better than your picture."

I hug her as tight as I can. For all the years I had to be perfect for William or Santiago and his thugs, this is what feels like pure perfection. And I'll do whatever it takes to hold on to her.

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