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His ansas to stroke his thumb over her skin

"Clay" When his eyes focused on her this tie Irrational fear spiked, but she refused to buckle under again "Intirowled low in his throat "Answer the fucking question"

"I did it so I’d feel sorowl back at hi I couldn’t love the Larkspurs, I couldn’tbut pretend!"

"And did you?" His hand tightened on her neck

Cold sweat broke out over her body but she stayed "No I’ve never felt as dead as I did when I was in those beds I went into my mind like I used to do as a child - so I wouldn’t be present while my body was used"

His eyes shifted back to huht hiht that that was all I was good for" A blunt response and the utter truth "I was messed up, Clay What Orrin did to et past all that poison he put intolad I killed him," Clay said, his tone so quiet it was a blade "I only wish I’d been more patient I should’ve ripped off his dick first, made him eat it"

Her gorge rose but she was so da Clay Maybe she eak, broken, hu a small move, she put her hand on his knee He seeo," she whispered, eyes tracing over the harsh masculine lines of his face "Don’t let him poison you, too I’ve finally broken free"

"Have you?"

"I haven’t chosen to share a ues hurt so much," she admitted The time for lies had passed "I know I’m worth more now The therapist I went to for a while helped me see that But it was the kids at Shine who really saved oing as I had been"

He watched her, a cool, dangerous predator with rage coating hily impenetrable shield

"So many of theoing, keep fighting How could I possibly think to help theh to do the sae and heart and they’re mine I can’t let any more of them die, Clay I can’t"

"I told you - I’ll find this boy, Jon, for you"

"I know you will" Her trust in hi knowledge of theProtective Beautiful And more than a little wild "I trust you" A confession that took e than she knew she had

Fla back to bed?"

"No" She tensed, wondering where this was leading She , but she kne to read desire in a man’s eyes

As if he’d heard her unspoken fear, he rose to his feet, held out his hand "Coet out of here"

Her heart s across her soul in an unstoppable inferno "I’d like that"

Chapter 15

Ashaya looked at the holographic map projected above her desk It showed the location of her lab in relation to nearby towns and farms "You’re sure the lab won’t be discovered?" she asked the ht particles

Councilor Ming LeBon nodded "You’re surrounded by acres of cornfields, with only a single, apparently unused, access road Froive me if my confidence doesn’t mirror yours" She terminated the projection "You assured etting in, detonating their boinal prototype Not to eted psychic strike that killed several of my top scientists"

"That was an unfortunateadmitted with the emotionless confidence of a man so deadly, ht not feel eht, but even those of her clinical race valued their lives

"Thatcontinued, "will not be repeated" His eyes were those of a cardinal but unique in that Ming’s had less white stars than most Liquid black filled his eyes, broken only by one or two pinpricks of light

The uniqueness of his eyes wasn’t a well-known fact -LeBon’s physical appearance He was a true shadow in the PsyNet Ashaya ell aware that the sole reason he’d allowed her to see him was because he knew the Council had her totally under their control

It ry to be soShe didn’t feel fear, anger, any negative ereed with the Councilor "Explain the security features to me," she said