Devon half pushed, half carried Kathleen into the windowless room lined with match-boarded walls. She grappled with him, flailing like a drowning woman. He said her name repeatedly, patiently, his arms tightening to contain her. The more she struggled, the more firmly he held her, until she was gathered against his chest in a nerveless bundle. Trying to swallow back the shuddering sounds that came from her throat only made them worse. “You’re safe,” she heard him say. “Easy . . . you’re safe. I won’t let go.” Dimly she realized that she was no longer trying to escape but fighting to press
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