Just like before. Just like before. Just like before. The words had played a litany in her mind from the moment Max had told them of his grandfather’s call. She’d worked so hard to actively put that time out of her mind, yet it had found her once more. Was a person supposed to experience that sort of grief twice in one lifetime? Watching those they cared about become victims of senseless violence? A whirl of voices surrounded her as she and Tucker stepped off the elevator with Max. Although it had killed Lilah and Violet to stay behind, the half-deconstructed floor needed tending. And though she’d developed a fear of guns long ago, when Cassidy had seen the Glock Max had left behind for added protection, she’d taken her first easy breath since they’d made the decision to dig up the floor. “Do you know if Mrs. Beauregard has anyone to look after her?”
