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"So this is what?" I asked "Payback?"

Theshot," Adas: information, people, blackmail material He wants Ivy to remember what he’s capable of"

Bodie had insisted that Ivy had cleared William Keyes of involveet the noanized the retreat where Pierce and Major Bharani met

"Ivy will take care of it," Adam told me for a second time His eyes darkened as he pulled out onto the road "And I’ll take care of ht I’d just gotten out of the shohen she knocked onit aside, I answered the knock

Froood idea what she wanted to talk about

"Let uess," I said "You want to chat about my little adventure this afternoon?"

Ivy inclined her head slightly "Can I come in?"

I stepped back froers throughout kinks as I went

"Here," Ivy said, sitting down on my bed "Letabout, and then she picked a brush up off e of my bed I sit on the floor in front of her The memory hitsoftly to h my hair

"You used to braid my hair" I hadn’t es of Ivy’s features "Moh on your head" She shook her head slightly, a soft s over her face "Even when you were tiny, you’d never tails you couldn’t demolish A braid was a little sturdier"

"You stayed within my throat "After the funeral, you stayed with me"

"For a feeeks," Ivy replied, her voice difficult to read "Then Graiven me away I couldn’t blaiven up the years I’d had with Gra," I said "About the clinical trial"

My throat went dry, just saying the words It was easier, in a twisted way, to think aboutthrough than to think about my own situation

About Gra" I trailed off, thinking of John Thorandfather’s illness, the losses--one after another--we’d be facing down the road "Maybe it’s a good idea"

"Maybe it is," Ivy returned She studied me for a moment, then continued

"I know this is hard for you If you ever want to talk--"

"I don’t," I said The words came out more abruptly than I htly "I’m not much of a talker"

Ivy accepted that with a nod The two of us fell into silence, then she gestured to the floor in front of her with the brush "Sit"