she heard Colin call behind her. “Ty!” He grabbed for her arm, but she was already jogging toward the stairs, following Minnick and the boy up to his office. “Let go!” Chip was yelling, wriggling in the foreman’s grasp. “I got work to do, okay?” Minnick boxed him hard against the ear, bringing a bright angry mark to the side of his face. “Stamping Mill needs someone to go over and help with something,” he said. “You do whatever they need, then get your scrawny ass back here and finish up.” “I won’t finish if you make me go,” he threatened. “Then we’ll stay as late as we need to until you do.” Minnick’s mouth twitched, and he licked his peeling lips. Ty’s stomach twisted. She didn’t know what she was doing. Her head was pounding—had been since last night. Combined with the heat and the noise it felt like her brain was about to explode. Pure foolery, that was the only explanation for abandoning her station, for why she was standing right behind them.
