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Elise put the phone up to her ear andto so onward, she kept her eyes on the carpet and the hu her in her peripheral vision He didn’t seem particularly interested in her presence

One benefit to wearing jeans and a long, puffy coat was that her body was totally hidden

Still, she tensed up as they passed … but he simply kept about his way and so did she

And then she was on the elevator, going down

She couldn’t wait to get to Axe’s place

Rhage was not in a big hurry to get home But the distance froe, and he was, as always, a very efficient driver

Too soon, he and Mary alking into the foyer

Going by the laughter, they knehere Bitty was … and they found her in the billiards roo hide-and-seek with Nalla a the pool tables

Bit was so carefree, darting fro quickly, but not so fast that Nalla couldn’t catch her and feel the triu fro a ju like sunshine, and Bitty had on one of Mary’s blue fleeces, the thing so big, it flopped around her ar, the scent of their sorroas so thick, his nose filled with the acrid burn of it--and Bellasmell, because she looked around sharply

Her face went froot to her feet "I, ah, I think it’s time for Nalla’s bath And Bitty, your parents need to talk to--ah …"

"Hey!" the girl said as she saw the crouch "What’s wrong? I don’t have to go back to Havers’s, do I?"

"No, honey" Mary walked forward and gave Bella a brief hug "But we need to speak to you"

"Did I do soe nodded at Z’s shellan as Bella scooped up her young and disappeared with sadness "Not at all You want to sit doith us, please?"

"All right"