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Ja him Thierry carried Jema into a room filled with medical equipment This, he kneould be Alex’s place She could save Jema here, as she had saved him in New Orleans Thierry looked up when someone appeared in the doorway, but it was Daniel Bradford, not Alexandra, and his blank eyes were fixed on Jema

"Jem?" he called, his voice hollow as he shuffled into the room "Jem, it’s Daniel Wake up, honey; it’s time for your shot" He looked at Thierry and down at his case "I’m her doctor Please step back; I’ll handle this"

Thierry saw blood dripping from under Jema’s body to spill onto the floor at his feet He turned to his son "Find Alexandra"

Janored Bradford and held on to Je her hair back from her face "Open your eyes for me"

Jema stirred and her lashes fluttered "Thierry?"

"I said, please step back from my patient," Bradford said as he cae in his hand

Thierry would have lunged across the table and broken the o of her "She’s not yours; she was never yours," he snarled, baring his fangs "Get away from her"

Bradford took a small pistol out of his pocket and pointed it at Thierry, then changed his ainst Jema’s head "Step back now," he said, almost pleasantly

Thierry saw Cyprien and Alexandra enter the room with Jamys, but so did Bradford

"Don’t coer, and I believe she’s still huh to die"

"What have you done, Bradford?" Alex dee from his pocket Thierry hissed as Bradford stabbed it directly into Jema’s neck "Here you are, honey," he crooned to Jeer "This will make it all better"

"Thierry," Michael said

"I know" He faced the e else, it had made him able to understand an irrational obsession "Hoill it make her better, Doctor?"

Bradford s to worry about now, Je I know you’ll feel sad at first, but she was a terrible woman She wanted me to kill you so that she could have the money James left you"

Jema’s eyes opened, and she stared up at Daniel "Mother?"

"She didn’t understand," Daniel said "Part of that was my fault You see, I never told her how special you were That little trick you have with turning invisible? You did it so much when you were a baby I put bells on your shoes so I could find you

"I had to keep pretending you had diabetes, of course, but that was to explain the injections It took tiave her a fond smile "You can now that she’s dead, you know You’ll have all the money you need, and we don’t have to tell anyone what you are"

Jelanced at Thierry "Daniel," she said, her voice a thread of pain, "why did you do this toto be an immortal, honey," he said "I only slowed it down so it wouldn’t burn up your body It did alood news is, once you finish changing into your final for to study you and test you until we can figure out how to make me like you" He frowned "It’s your blood, sweetheart All the secrets of life are in your blood Your father was right about you"

Thierry had the reflexes of a swordsman with seven hundred years’ experience He knew that if Bradford could be distracted for even a fraction of a second, he could disar his hand and htly He tensed, and when he returned the nod, she vanished

"Jem, please don’t do that Please" Bradford put a hand out to grab what he couldn’t see

Thierry’s dagger knocked the gun fro the doctor back from the table, while Alex caown and examine the sound

Jema reappeared and smiled at Thierry "Worked"

"Miss Shaw ishand

"No," Alex said to Thierry as he started around the table "I need him alive so I can find out what he’s done to her" She bent over Jema "Open your htened "You removed them, you sick bastard?" she shouted at Daniel