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The photos he’d seen of her didn’t do her justice There was a delicate air to her as though she were recovering from an illness, but it in no way detracted froile He felt a brief uilt for what he was about to ask her to do, but he brushed it away There was no price too high to pay for his sister’s life

“I can’t help you”

Her softly spoken words slid like velvet over his ears, a direct contrast froer her refusal caused He hadn’t evenhim the brush-off

“You don’t even knohat it is I want,” he said in an icy tone that would wither most people

“It’s rather obvious,” she said wearily, fatigue drooping her eyelids “Why else would you come all this way? I don’t even want to kno you founded to find me here”

Caleb frowned Had she been ill? Was that why she’d dropped out of sight, so she could recover? It didn’t matter why now that he’d found her He didn’t care what her reasons were

“With your abilities ould you purposely make yourself difficult to find?” he demanded “My sister’s life is at stake here, Miss St Claire I’ until you do”

She shook her head aday from her eyes “I can’t”

There was quiet desperation to her words that told him there was more to her refusal than what appeared on the surface Soret for forcing her co in the balance

He reached inside his jacket and pulled out Tori’s scarf The one item they’d found at the site where she rocery store beside the open door of her car He should have never let her go alone He’d failed her Failed to protect her Failed to ensure proper security

Ramie immediately backed away, a desperate cry on her lips He shoved forward, forcing the scarf into her hands and holding her and the scarf so there was no escape She emitted a broken sob and she looked up at hi unnaturally pale Her pupils flared and then clouded, pain and devastation clearly outlined on her features

“No,” she whispered “Not again Oh God, not again I won’t survive it”

Her knees buckled and she would have gone down, but he caught her, ensuring the scarf never lost contact with her hands He watched in horror as Rarasp despite his best effort to support her weight She was si doll He quickly followed her down to the floor, deterrip on Tori’s scarf But it didn’t seem to matter now Ramie was somewhere else