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"Even as adults we are constantly growing new brain cells The sample of this man&039;s cells showed that as his doctor attempted to suppress his past trauma with certain noninvasive treatments, a heavy collection of youthful active cells were provided to the brain I want to try this with you, then get you back in that MRI for the seven days"

Sara stood at the edge of Gray&039;s bed, her coat on, bags over her shoulder It was late and she was tired, but she was hoping her words, her request would have some effect on him Even just a hint of hope in his hopeless expression would do it for her right now

Unfortunately, as Gray stared up at her, there was nothing but frustration in his eyes

"Don&039;t you see," she said, trying like hell to sound enthusiastic "If enough new, young cells were created, perhaps they&039;d tamp down the ed hands and shook his head A boulder of despair rolled through Sara in that moment

"You just don&039;t care any out theat the black night and the lights of the city, then back again to her brother "Well, that&039;s fine I&039;ll just have to keep caring for you"

She saw his jaw tighten, his fists too, and she nodded

"Okay, I&039;"

She left the room and headed for the elevators with a heaviness around her heart she hadn&039;t felt since those early days after the fire Sure, she&039;d always experienced anger and frustration and guilt during her school years and into the first years of Gray&039;s therapy, but it fueled her study and gave her reason to be opti of i dooht loomed cold and black as she walked out of the hospital When she spotted the town car at the curb, she headed straight for it, relief filling her, a grateful s, difficult day, and the thought of going home to Alexander filled her with a deep sense of hope and pleasure

The driver nodded as she cli a white shirt, charcoal gray pantsuit, and black leather heels, and was, as usual, neck deep in the Wall Street Journal The veana clearly loved the news

"You&039;re getting smarter by the ainst the leather seat and yanked off her scarf "Gee, thanks, Dillon"

"Don&039;t geta pain-in-the-ass renegade, but not having to force you into the car makes way less work for me"

"Well, I aim to please"

"Really?"

"No"

Dillon snorted, then tossed the paper on the seat beside her "So what do you do in that hospital all day? Shrink heads?"

"That&039;s a human joke You sure you want to fall that far?"

"Can&039;t help it It&039;s the co ed "Looks like a lot of pushing paper and pill-popping nut jobs to me"

Sara cocked her head to the side, narrowed her eyes "Where are you actually going when you should be watching rinned "The one on 34th and Lex hed "Nice Varin flickered "You do spend a lot of ti out theas they passed one of her favorite delis

"The young one," Dillon continued "With the dark blond hair and impatient eyes"

Sara turned back Normally, people described Gray by the burns on his hands, never by the expression in his eyes But then again, Dillon was neither a person nor normal "He&039;s a patient, and some patients need a little bit more of my time and attention than others"

"That all it is, huh?" Dillon said, her tone casual

"Of course What else would it be?" Before Dillon could speculate, Sara changed the subject "So, how&039;s the training going?"

"With the guys?"

"Yeah"

She shrugged again, looking bored "They&039;re not totally inept"

Sara laughed "That&039;s good So did you work the whole tiet breaks?"

The veana&039;s eyes narrowed "The Romans don&039;t require &039;breaks&039; "

"Okaay Good to know"

"They stopped to change weapons, however"

Sara brightened "Any chatting going on during that ti the word like a high-class Brit "Sure there was chatting It was during teati"

The heavy sarcasm in Dillon&039;s tone made Sara smile and shake her head "I just wanted to know if he said anything about me, okay?"

"Who?"

"Alexander"

"Oh, fuck ainst her seat as the car ht "I don&039;t owe hiet it Sorry I asked And before you even go there-- yes, I am ten" She turned away, stared out the

They drove the last five blocks in silence, and when they caot out quickly and hightailed it up the sidewalk Dillon followed When they reached the door, she released a weighty breath "Hey Hulanced over her shoulder "What?"

The veana shook her head as though she couldn&039;t believe she was actually about to say what she was about to say "He said, &039;Let anything happen to her and I&039;ll shackle your fangs and leave your ass in Mondrar for the next century&039; "

"What&039;s Mondrar?"

"It&039;s like jail for vampires Controlled by the Order" She shook her head and uttered tightly, "It&039;s not good"

Sara grinned with pleasure "Really? He said that? He said he&039;d do that to you?"

Dillon snorted "As if he could h

Cursing, the veana pushed past her and opened the front door "You know, you&039;re both fools," shefor Sara to enter It wasn&039;t a question

"Yes, I know" Sara lifted her brow as Dillon shut the door "See you later?"

"Not if I see you first," she called back, heading into the living rooht, Brooklyn hummed with traffic and pedestrian life, but on Clark Street in Boeru past Ethan Dare&039;s residence were prostitutes and those looking to score drugs His three-story town house appeared to be a boarded-up crack house, coies, and dirty spoons that littered the snow-covered front yard

Alexander stood across the street in the shadow of a cherry tree ad the half-breed&039;s ability to not only vanish with a group of dinner guests, but to mask the exterior of his ho only a uess--o in weapons drawn," said Lucian, as beside hiive a shit"

Nicholas snorted "Might even think we&039;re cops"

"We go in fast and quiet," Alexander said in a clipped, authoritative whisper

"One goal Ethan Dare I want his body brought before the Order tonight"

Jaw tight, Nicholas nodded

Lucian too "Yes, sir"

They nearly flew across the street Avoiding the front of the house, they hustled around to a side here Nicholas h a thick layer of cardboard He yanked the brown paper back, revealing a wall of wood planks that looked darowled low in his throat Yes, this would keep the crackheads out and the vaestured to Lucian, and when Nicholas stepped back, Glock at the ready, the pair kicked the shit out of the boards until they had a hole wide enough to get through

In a flash, Nicholas had the head of his gun inside the hole, ready for whatever lay in wait Detecting heartbeats, Alexander twisted his estured for his brothers to follow him

"Aim well and spare all innocents," he whispered as he stalked, hunched over, through the crawl space and into the room Courtesy of his species, his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, his retinas flipping on their internal light

"Un-fucking-believable," Lucian uttered, taking in the art-deco room with its polished fixtures, expensive furniture, and crystal chandelier "Just like our place Wreck outside, palace inside" He turned to glare at Alexander "How is this possible? Dare&039;s got to be getting help froreed, but he didn&039;t have ti activity, slow heartbeats above him Purebloods had no pulse, but Impures did