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"Because, sweetheart," I said "I ht not be the Tin Man, and I’ you’re going to get"

Chapter Twelve

Once my professional help was secured, Violet Fox irandfather was okay

"Forget it," I said "You’re not going hoht You need to stay here and rest You’ve been through a serious trauically healed, you still need some downtime to recover"

By this point, purple circles rimmed her dark eyes, and she moved slowly, like every motion was an enormous effort

Violet Fox was about to pass out from sheer exhaustion

I didn’t add the fact I wanted Violet to stay right where she was so Jo-Jo and Sophia Deveraux could babysit her The dwarves wouldstupid, like tell her grandfather about the attack and have hie

"But what if Dawson sends some men after Grandfather?"

Violet asked

"He won’t," I replied "You said it yourself Your grandfather and his shotgun can handle Dawson’s men That’s why the dwarf ca anywhere threatening your grandfather"

"But how do you know?" she persisted

I gave her a flat look "Because I’ve had a lot of experience with this sort of thing Dawson’s probably waiting for his cell phone to ring, for his man to check in and tell hi, Daill be too busy trying to find his own ure out what the hell happened to hiht Trust et soue with randfather and check in See how he is, and tell him you’ll see hi here tonight Capisce?"

Violet Fox ht-A business student, but her resistance wilted under randfather"

"Good," I replied and pushed her bowl back over to her "Now, eat some more cobbler"

Violet Fox ate some more apricot bars and vanilla ice creareed to keep an eye on her until Finn and I showed up tomorrow The two of us would drive Violet back hoet Tobias Dawson to back off

Jo-Jo settled Violet in one of her upstairs bedroo out into the rain and seeing what she could do about the blood Violet had dripped all over the backseat of his precious Aston Martin Once Jo-Jo finished with Violet, the dwarf took ave me a plastic tub The dwarf ’s cloud rune decorated the top of the container I traced ernail over the pale blue paint

In addition to healing with their hands, Air eleic in various products, like the ointment she’d just handedover until I could get to her Jo-Jo also gaveone that looked like a makeup compact and another solid tube of it that rese I’ mixed up with Tobias Dawson"

Jo-Jo’s white eyes clouded over "Maybe Although I don’t think the tub will be much help Not this time"

Her voice was soft and distant, like she was so in front ofpowers, Jo-Jo also had a bit of precognition

Most Airs did They could read vibrations and feelings in the wind just like I could in whatever stone was near me

But where my element whispered to me of the past, theirs often hinted at the future Another way the two elements opposed each other

After a moment, Jo-Jo’s eyes cleared, and she stared atto talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" I asked, sliding the compact and lipstick tube into ave you The one Fletcher spent so long working on"

I griiven o soon after Fletcher’s funeral The dwarf had told me to come talk to her about the infor else I hadn’t done yet

"What’s there to talk about?" I shrugged "For so, and he never said a word toall the info he could on ets Soives the folder to you, then gets murdered before he can tell me about it - or what the hell he wanted me to do with the information I don’t see e have to discuss"

Jo-Jo stared at me "Your sister, for starters"

I snorted "Oh yes,she was dead for seventeen years"

"I can understand why you feel hurt, why you feel like Fletcher betrayed you But fa, Gin," the dwarf said in a soft voice "Whether it’s the one you’re born into or the one you make for yourself Bria is your blood, your sister, and she’s alive You can’t just ignore that"

"Fletcher left me a picture of her, but he didn’t tell me how to find her Where she’s at, what she’s even like now Kind of sloppy of him to omit that information, don’t you think?" I snapped

"Fletcher Lane never did anything he didn’t mean to," Jo-Jo said "He left you that picture for a reason You’ll understand why one day"

The tone of her voice ether - just like ht ones "You know, don’t you? You knohy he compiled that information"

Jo-Jo tilted her head "I have some ideas"

"Care to share?" I asked in a sarcastic tone

The dwarf shook her head "It’s not my place This is between you and Fletcher"

"He’s dead"