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Page 412

| reason he'd bother to come to the outback to look for meto ruin our lives." |

| Sasha grabbed Ashton's arm and held tightly to it. "Ashton, is he crippled and twisted like that becausebecause of you?" she asked, shuddering at the sight of the man. |

| "You might say that," Ashton said, his eyes narrowing as Superintendent Howland gazed intently toward the door, surely having caught sight of Ashton and Sasha standing there in the shadows. "One of my bullets went clean through him and lodged in his spine. As fate would have it, he came through it alive. I had meant for him to be dead." |

| "Lawrence Proffitt!" Superintendent Howland shouted. "I've come to have a talk with you." He cleared his throat nervously. "Or should I be asking for Ashton York? Did you think that changing your name would keep me from finding you once I set my mind to doing it?" |

| Ashton turned to Sasha. "You stay here," he said sternly. "I'll take care of this." |

| Sasha's lips parted to argue with him, but he was too quick. In two wide steps he was already outside on the porch. She was momentarily distracted when Tobias came to her and began yanking on her dress. She turned to him and lifted him into her arms, now knowing that Ashton had been right to ask her to stay inside. She had to protect their children from all harmespecially from evil men like Superintendent Silas Howland! |

| But she could not help stepping closer to the opened door, leaning an ear closer. What if Ashton was in danger? |

| Yet how much harm could the crippled old man |

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