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“I love you, baby” She kissed her forehead softly, lingeringly “You be good for Moet you soon”

She handed her baby to Callan Cassie looked so small, so defenseless in the other man’s arms as he lifted her up to Dawn

He jumped into the helicopter as Dash wrapped his arms around Elizabeth and pulled her back The door closed, blocking out the sight of Cassie’s pale face As she and Dash drew back the required distance, theup the snow on the ground, then it slowly lifted away

“Cassie,” she whispered painfully, allowing her tears to fall now that her daughter was out of sight Hot, scalding streahtened violently “Oh God, Cassie Momma already misses you”

Dash’s arhtly to his chest, his head lowered over hers as the helicopter sped swiftly away fro

“It’s okay, baby,” Dash whispered at her ear, his voice husky, dark “It’s okay We’ll make him pay for it I promise you, he will pay for it”

Chapter Seventeen

The Tolers returned to the ranch early thatFinally She had cried herself into exhaustion as he held her She was grieving, he knew, hating the separation frohter and the fear that filled her But he knew it had been a cleansing thing, a preparation for what she as co hair back froently to her

He had never been comfortable with a woman’s tears before Had never known exactly how to handle the feeling ofthem It was absent in this case It was the first time he had seen Elizabeth cry, had seen the control she kept so firmly in place slip Or had it? It was hard to tell with her She was equal parts warrior and woman As she cried in his are and pain forh the co days

He could have accomplished this much faster, much easier and with no threat to her if he had taken Callan up on his offer But Dash had known even before then that Elizabeth would have to see this through before she would have the courage to face the life ahead of them He had chosen her as his mate, and she knew it, even if she never spoke of it He was now, legally, Cassie’s father The little girl was unique in soher would be a full-tih to protect herself

She would need parents who kne to defend her, kne to fight together Dash would er possible But to be assured she could face the dangers that could come in their lives, he had to allow her this There was always the chance he could be killed A chance that once again she would be alone, facing dangers she had never iined from the Council He had to make certain she was able to protect herself, Cassie, and any other children theythe way

When she had slipped into sleep, curled in the bed Cassie had slept in, Dash had slipped away and began preparing for their departure A plane would coht and fly them to a deserted airfield not far from the cabin he had rented for a h she was and e

Mike was insistent that Dash allow the bastard to live All they needed were the files Grange possessed, detailing the experiment done in-vitro on Elizabeth That alone would secure Cassie’s safety, aselse would Once she was under Pride protection the news of her existence would be revealed and would pull the teeth froe posed But Dash knew e would never be satisfied, never be content, until he destroyed Cassie He wouldn’t allow that threat to continue Grange was a drug runner, a slaver, a child molester A man whose soul was so dark and diseased that he caused misery wherever he went Dash kneould likely have to kill hiuilty over that fact, or remorse Such monsters didn’t deserve to draw breath

He loaded all the equip the back seat area eapons and ae wouldn’t be that hard, but he wanted Elizabeth fa in

“This is too risky, Dash,” Mike warned hiain “If you won’t accept the offer Callan made, let me send a few of et out You’re placing Elizabeth in too er”