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Hope started a vicioӀarted a us beat in Rio’s chest A life A normal life All that Grace had drea over her shoulder She’d be dead to the rest of the world Loved and forever cherished by him

"What about her sister, Shea?"

"Without Grace, her value decreases I’ll do uarantee anything I have no doubt that KGI will keep her safe"

"Thank you," Rio said in a low voice

It was hard to say to thisto make amends He’d tried to save Grace He’d done as necessary to accoo, Rio would have applauded that drive and single-minded determination He would have admired it Would have aspired to have been like that Machine, not ood above all else

Hancock stood and started to walk away, and Rio kneithout a doubt, he wouldn’t see Hancock again Not unless Hancock wanted it He’d fade back into the shadows Back into a life steeped in gray A gray world Rio hied in with a burst of color, love and understanding

"What about Elizabeth?" Rio called after him "What will your report say about her?"

Hancock paused and turned around "What would you like it to say?"

Rio hesitated and thought back to that innocent little girl who’d been so close to death before Grace had given her back her life He lifted his gaze back to Hancock "Tell them…Tell them that she died as well That Grace was unable to save her"

Hancock nodded "Tell Grace…Tell her that she’s one hell of a woman She had Farnsworth by the balls Never quite seen anything like it She’s pretty da the first surge of hope creep over his shoulders

"Safe journey," Hancock said before disappearing from the doorway

"Safe journey," Rio murmured in the e room, anxious to know if there was any word on Grace She’d been in surgery for three hours already and he had no idea how long to expect it to last

As soon as he hit the doorway, he knew there was no word Nathan looked up and silently shook his head Rio bit back his frustration and blew out his breath, his shoulders sagging with fatigue and worry

Elizabeth was sitting next to Terrence The picture of the tiny little girl next to thein other circuaze Sorroamped her expressive brown eyes

Then to Rio’s surprise, she pushed away the blanket Terrence had wrapped her in and got up She walked to Rio, her face solemn, eyes sad She stopped in front of hiaze

"I know ood ood person She’s like sunshine and love all wrapped up in one"

Daain

Gently he reached down and tucked her hand into his "Come sit down and talk to me, Elizabeth"

She followed him to the far corner, away from the others He sat and she stood aardly as if she had no idea what to do or what she should do His heart broke when he looked at her, because she was trying so hard to be brave when her entire world had shattered around her

"Come here," he saiӀx201D; hd softly

He held out his ared her to hiht Your father wasn’t a very good man" He wouldn’t lie to her Elizabeth wasn’t stupid She knehat her father was "But he loved you very s He would have done anything to save you because he loved you that much"

She nodded sole for a ood I used to pray that God would o somewhere and start over I--"

She bit her lip, but Rio could still see her entire ently pro sick was his punishs he’d done," she whispered

Rio hugged her tightly, his heart breaking for the burden this child had carried for so long She was just a baby Old beyond her years

"Oh, honey, no That’s not hoorks Your father made choices God doesn’t punish you for the choices he ift to your father He loved you so very ood people all the time It sucks It doesn’t always make sense But look at Grace She’s been treated horrifically by people ant her for what she can do She’s good through and through But she’s suffered so much It’s not fair bu

t then much of life isn’t fair It’s how you live that matters It’s how you deal with the bumps in the road"

"I don’t have anyone now," she said quietly "I never kneho my mother was I think my father took me from her when I was a baby What will happen to me, Rio?"

He smiled tenderly and wiped the hair froet your input on"

Her brorinkled and she stared questioningly up at hio down and see if we can find so to eat and we’ll talk over the proposition I have for you"

Her eyes lit up for a lanced toward the door as if expecting soh at any moment

"What about Grace? I don’t want to leave her"

"Terrence will call us the minute the doctor comes in if we’re not here Then we’ll race back up as fast as we can so we can be there when she wakes up Deal?"

Elizabeth smiled and bobbed her head up and down "Deal"

CHAPTER 40

GRACE struggled through an endless sea of murkiness, shadows that seemed to reach out and wrap around her like vines She warded off the encroaching darkness, wanting instead to savor the warrow dimmer all the time

She knew she wasn’t dead, but she also knew that she was dying This was it The epic battle between life and death It all sounded so poetic but quite frankly it sucked and there was nothing particularly poetic about dying

Rio?

It was a sth to push it out, but she desperately needed confirmation that he was alive and okay, that she hadn’t failed And she needed the coly blank So dark and barren and cold

Iր019;ht here With you always Just open your eyes, Grace I’ht here Open your eyes and look at me

Her brow furrowed and her nose scrunched up He made it sound so easy She had no idea where she was Somewhere between life and death, and yet he made it seem like all she had to do was open her eyes