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But Colin knew one thing He wasn’t leaving Sophie’s side until Lucien was rounded up and neutralized The vaave him some sort of power over her The bastard had also called Sophie back to Vancouver, letting her and the others risk their lives, paying the price for his stupidity and sheer cowardice But now that the er needed Sophie, he et rid of her

But Colin needed her Now and forever He’d lost her once and he had no intention of losing her again Jenkins and his buddies hadn’t had the foresight to ar rounds, but Colin wouldn’t ht be on the line

Chapter Forty-Two

The first thing Raphael heard when he woke, the first thing he listened for, was Cyn’s heartbeat, still pulsing against his chest He’d felt her there in his dreams, but that didn’t stop the relief that squeezed his heart at finding her there in truth as night fell around the his arree

"Raphael?" she said, sounding sleepy and confused, and far too weak

"And who else would be lying naked in your bed, ainst his skin, and in the next o--"

"They are dead, lubimaya The ones who harmed you, who murdered Marco and Preston and attacked Mariane All dead"

She pulled back a little, searching his face with eyes that eary with pain The sight infuriated him and for a hter for her vengeance

Some of that ers to his cheek "Are you sure you’re okay?" she asked

"I a your Robbie"

"And Murphy, too?"

Raphael felt a surge of jealousy that she would even ask about the huentle smile

"I love you, Raphael"

He bent his head to touch his lips to hers and she responded for the first tiue brush lightly against his

Soile touch, so unlike their usual love her to be upset by it

"Mister Murphy is unharmed, as well," he told her "And I believe he and Sophia are, as you would say, an ite tired, as if even this short exchange had exhausted her

Raphael kissed her mouth onceher hair back with his fingers

"I need a shower," she fretted

"You’re perfect as you are, ht privately, which was all thatof that, he lifted his ars

"You need to drink, lubimaya"

Her eyes flashed open "What about you? If I keep drinking froht," he assured her She didn’t ask, and he didn’t offer to tell her whose blood it was he’d dined on But he and his vampires had all fed very well on the blood of their ene a lot better tonight I won’t need--"

"Drink," he ordered, interrupting her "We’ll discuss the rest later"

She sighed, but surrendered to the inevitable She was too weak to resist hian to suck Raphael cupped the back of her head with his other hand, his thoughts drifting to the night ahead The humans had been taken care of, but Lucien was still a problem He needed to be found soon and dealt with perer tolerate the influence of a foreign vampire lord within his territory, particularly one who had brought such grief to Raphael’s people

Lucien would have to go, and Sophia would have to follow

Chapter Forty-Three

Raphael was pulling a sweater over his head when Elke called down to say that Dr Saephan had arrived Cyn was asleep, but she hen the phone rang, turning her head to watch as he opened the vault and sent the elevator up to fetch the doctor