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She should be screa wreck at the thought of what her daughter was facing She shouldn’t have been able to function considering the state of shock she knew she had entered

“Elizabeth” Dash stepped in front of her as she moved to leave the room “We don’t have a choice”

She stopped before she could touch him She couldn’t touch him Couldn’t let his heat seep past the icy protection she had pulled around her heart She stared at his chest for long ed the broad ered for A body she couldn’t touch Had no right to desire

“Of course we do” She shrugged as she finally stared up at hio to the media”

She could aler and volatile protest It was a simple solution The Felines had done it and were now so securely protected and autonomous that no one dared hter could be protected in the same way Couldn’t she?

“The media,” Dash said carefully “Think about that, Elizabeth Cassie isn’t an adult and she doesn’t have a Pride backing her What’s more, she wasn’t lab-created She was conceived naturally, which raises the stakes in ways you can never iine You’re a woet their hands on Cassie for studies,” he sneered the word, “could contrive any hting to save her child, to aher baby to make her oay They could fraue with Grange…”

She shook her head desperately, panic flaring in her chest “No…”

“They will, Elizabeth” Dash kept his voice soft, al because you know it’s true They can do it And they will Cassie is exceptional She’s also exploitable Don’t think you can ith theo to the media now, before she’s listed as a Breed and under their protection, then you’ve lost her forever”

Elizabeth sed tightly as she stared into his eyes, seeing the total conviction there, the strength of his beliefs She hadn’t considered it, that they would try to take her child away from her, to manipulate opinion in such a manner She looked over at Mike Toler His face was soreement They could do it, his expression seemed to shout They would do it

And where did that leave her except without her child?

“But, she’ll be withouther arms protectively around her chest “You have to o with her”

She couldn’t i there when her daughter had night happened How else could she be sure her daughter was protected?

“Grange knows your habits, baby,” Dash continued “He believes you would never let Cassie go anywhere alone He won’t expect this Then, e’re ready, we’ll let him think he’s found you If you disappear with Cassie, then he’ll go to ground, hide, until he gets his chance to take her A chance you won’t be able to anticipate We have to take him out, Elizabeth It’s the only way”

Take him out For a moe’s henchman found in a pool of blood, his throat slit open, an efficient killing, the reporter had concluded Dash had taken him out, completely

“Kill him?” she asked him weakly She had never killed anyone But, she had never been given the chance at Grange’s throat, either