get the whole
but that wasn't what I meant." He raised both eyebrows, and she twitched her shoulders uncomfortably, unable to believe she was about to tell Paulo d'Arezzo, of all people, something she'd never even told Aikawa or Ragnhild. She drew a deep breath. "Before Daddy and . . . the others found me, and Berry and Lars, there were three men. They'd grabbed Berry and Lars before I came along. They'd raped Berry and beaten her—badly. They were going to kill her, probably pretty soon, I think. But I didn't know that when they came after me."
He was staring at her now, his eyes wide, and she drew another breath.
"I was already pretty good at the Neue-Stil," she said flatly. "I was scared—I'd just gotten away from the Scrags, and I'd known they were going to kill me if I didn't make a break. I had all the adrenaline in the galaxy pumping through me, and nobody was going to make me go back. So when these three came at me in the dark, I killed them."
"You killed them," he repeated.
"Yes." She met his eyes steadily. "All three of them. Broke their
He was staring at her now, his eyes wide, and she drew another breath.
"I was already pretty good at the Neue-Stil," she said flatly. "I was scared—I'd just gotten away from the Scrags, and I'd known they were going to kill me if I didn't make a break. I had all the adrenaline in the galaxy pumping through me, and nobody was going to make me go back. So when these three came at me in the dark, I killed them."
"You killed them," he repeated.
"Yes." She met his eyes steadily. "All three of them. Broke their