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She let out a low, pained , and there wasn’t a fucking thing he could do about it

Rage fountained up inside hi him shake with the force of it So to pay

The paramedics arrived, and Grant sprinted downstairs to let them in They hauled in their equipment and knelt beside Isabelle

"Tell us what happened here," said one of the paramedics He was in his midthirties and had an air of calm competence about hily capable hands

"She’s a teacher One of the kids at school gave her sos that opened up when you put the she had that I didn’t"

He swabbed Isabelle’s arm for an IV "Is she on anyit made him sick He didn’t know her at all Why hadn’t he taken the tiet to know her better? Why hadn’t he insisted on finding out more about her?

Because he never did That’s why No ties, no co shallow asshole for not caring more

"Would she have any reason to want to hurt herself?" asked the fe Grant a er than her partner, with a cynical bitterness about her that ca the hard way not to trust people

"Hurt herself?" asked Grant, not understanding what she meant

"Kill herself," said the woman in a flat, indifferent tone

"God, no Isabelle would never do anything like that"

"Kathy, I can’t get a line in You try"

Kathy moved around Isabelle just as another seizure wracked her body "Hold her down," she ordered

Grant helped them hold her still while he tried not to let himself think about what could happen

He couldn’t lose her Not Isabelle

Finally, Kathy et an IV started He only hoped that it would help flush the shit out of her syste weaker," said the man "We need to move"

"Where’s the stuff you think poisoned her?" asked Kathy "We’ll need to bring it with us"

"In the kitchen I’ll get it"

He raced downstairs and grabbed the bag of tea The paramedics were already on their way doith her, so Grant followed in their wake

Kathy stopped hi into the back of the ambulance "I’ll take that, sir" She held her hand out for the tea

"I’ll carry it" He started to step up into the back of the arabbed his ar of tea from his hand

"I think it would be best if you followed us in your own car"

"I want to be with her"

"I understand that, sir, but we need the room to work" It was a lie Grant could hear it in her tone But ould she lie about that? Why wouldn’t she want hi?

Oh, God "You think I poisoned her?"

"I’ that, sir I just think it would be best if you followed behind us Besides, you’re still not wearing any clothes"

Grant looked down and realized he earing only his underwear, standing out on the street Not that he gave a fuck what Isabelle’s neighbors thought of hi as he ith her and she was safe "Please I’d never do anything to hurt her Just let me come with you"

"They won’t let you in the hospital like that Go get dressed and follow us We’re wasting ti" With that, Kathy shut the doors and the a behind them

Grant stood there in shock He should have been cold, but instead, he was just nu, and he was at least partially responsible

He’d fed her poisoned tea

She said she loved him

His brain couldn’t wrap around any of it For the first time in his life, he had no idea what to do This was all too much, and he had no one to turn to His friends were busy dealing with their own probleht be the killer, and the only person in this whole toho gave a shit about hi

He was alone and powerless to do anything to help Isabelle

Grant didn’t kno long he stood there, but he was shivering when he finally pulled hio back in the house Twodown the quiet neighborhood street toward the hospital

One thing was for sure, he was no longer waiting around for the police to find the fucking killer He was going to hunt the bastard down hiuaranteed to work every tioing to do it his way No matter what it cost him

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Detective Matheaiting for Grant at the hospital As Grant cah the doors, Mathews stepped in front of hi his path

Grant barely resisted hitting the man just to make himself feel better

He shoved his way past the detective and went straight to the eht now I need to check on Isabelle"

"They’re still working on her You have a while before they’ll let you see her"

"They’ll letto the young woet in to see Isabelle, then that’s what he’d do

"She’s only been here a few minutes Let them do their job"

"If she’s only been here a few et here so fast?"