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"Alexandra!"

So knocked her off her feet, and she landed under it Wind, black rubber and a roar rushed past her head, only an inch away fro to a halt

"Get up" Michael hauled her to her feet and dragged her behind a wide cement pillar, just as the back end of a black car rammed into it Plaster and cement chips scattered around the sound overhead

S tires wafted into Alex’s face as the driver of the car took off Before she could do h, Michael hurried her away fro li here?" Alex asked as soon as they were inside

"Sacher told me you had left alone Jaus has GPS locators on all of his vehicles," he told her "Why did you coainst the seat "I saw et to him--and then that car came out of nowhere"

"He tried to kill you" Cyprien’s composure was absolute "I will find hie on her lapel "He didn’t want me"

"I watched him try to run you down," he shouted, not so calhts The sick son of a bitch caed at the lapel "But it isn’t lanced over her shoulder "We have to go back I have to warn her"

"No" Cyprien picked up a phone "Jaus will take care of it"

Jema stayed with Luisa for an hour, but after the visit froirl didn’t say a word

"I’ll be by to see you in a couple of days" She alaited for a farewell, but didn’t get one "Take care, Luisa"

The front lobby was croith people and police, and Jeht in the valet parking area She changed direction and left the hospital through the eency room entrance, which was directly across froht of all the aiting for her at the lab, but for soo in and dive into it as usual The huge breakfast Daniel Bradford had insisted she eat wasn’t sitting well on her stomach, either By the time she’d driven three blocks from the hospital, she had to pull off the road and hurry into the nearest restaurant, a Wendy’s, so she could use the restroom

The only stall was empty but reeked of cheap pine cleaner She knelt down on the dark brown tile, holding the ith one hand

It couldn’t be food poisoning Was her blood sugar too high? It never felt like this She’d left her injection kit in the car--

The first surge sla into the toilet That was followed by another, and another, until her sto out saliva when nothing else would coulped air She was too sick to go to work, too sick to stand up She needed to go hoet upset Maybe she could lie down on her couch in the office for a few hours Hardly anyone came downstairs; no one would know She was Meryl Shaw’s daughter; no one would care

"Hey, lady" A pair of ankles above dirty sneakers appeared next to the gap under the stall door "You okay in there?"

"Yes" Je plastic-cased roll and wiped her face before she groped and flushed As she stood, she was relieved to see that she hadn’t puked down the front of her clothes She only smelled like she had

She opened the door and e eous thick curly red hair Jeave her a pretty smile and held out a small yellow cup filled with a clear soda and lots of ice "Diet Sprite It’ll help"

"Thanks" Jema went over to the sink for a wash before she tried a sip It did help, and she looked at the girl in the uess everybody out there heard me, huh?"

"Yeah I think the people over in the McDonald’s next door did, too" She joined her at the sink and handed her soer’s pretty cool, though If you want to sit for a while, you know, till your belly quiets down, he won’t chase you out"

"No, thank you I’ve got to go to work" She dug soirl only shook her head

"I kno you feel" She chuckled and touched the front of her unifory; she was pregnant, probably eightA mother-to-be at barely sixteen, if she was that old