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The first prayer she'd ever uttered ran through her mind. |
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I never told him I loved him. Dear God, he's going to die and he'll never know. Three little words I was too frightened to say. I'm not frightened now. Please, give me another chance. Save him, and I'll spend the rest of my life telling him I love him. I'll spend the rest of my life showing him how much. |
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A flash of blue from the ceiling made D.J. gasp. Josie swooped down and knocked the gun from Rich's hand. The bullet sliced into the dilapidated ceiling. Chris plowed into Rich, and both men fell to the floor in a tangle of legs and arms. |
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Josie landed next to D.J. and helped her scramble to her feet and retrieve the gun. Impulsively, D.J. turned to the angel and hugged her. Then she and Josie watched Chris take Rich apart. |
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The fight progressed, brutal and dirty. Rich outweighed Chris, but Chris was the taller and stronger of the two. Though Rich fought as though his life depended upon the outcomeand he probably thought it didChris fought with the memory of his murdered parents fresh on his mind. |
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They came to their feet and circled each other. When Rich lunged toward Chris, Chris stepped into the lunge. He used none of the karate D.J. had seen him apply in Outgamie, though his grace reminded her of that morning. While Rich threw himself into the fight, arms flailing, fists punching in a random pattern, Chris approached the matter with a calm thoughtfulness. His very lack of anger in the face of Rich's fury seemed to make Halloran all the |
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