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Her eyes blazed “He didn’t want me to Arlo just wouldn’t see that He wouldn’t stay out of it It can only have been hiet me expelled from The Hollow My friend works at the Command Centre She saw the application to have me removed She warned me about it”

I didn’t dare glance at Coop He’d been the one to pose the question to Derek of why he’d never tried to have her reuy’s head, orit Either way, I saw no need to speculate with her on that And I was ilad that Coop was unable to speak, because it was possible he’d have nobly taken the blame to save Arlo’s ass

“I knew Saree to it,” she continued “Derek is a ion I serve no purpose here I came as his partner, and he’d er that The Grand High Pair wouldn’t care that I have nowhere to go or no one to turn to Neither did Derek When I confronted him, he said it would be for the ‘best’ Said he’d only keptbecause I was too helpless to be alone He ridiculed hed at me, called me weak”

So she’d shown hiht “Did you always plan to call the anian to assail theBeatrix

“No I knew the people here wouldn’t accept the theood leaders do So I compelled them to stay away”

“But then you heard about Derek’s application, and you got pissed”

She shrugged “Ryder would have scanned uilty For a while, I thought I ht be able to convince Sam and Jared that we could all live in peace with my nest But that wouldn’t have happened, would it?”

No, but Beatrix had believed what brought her comfort It seemed to be a pattern with her

“They will kill me,” she added “But not in time to save Arlo or Coop”

“You’ve already killed Derek, haven’t you?”

Her nostrils flared “He would have thrown ood this ti throay” She whipped out a blade and came toward me “Now, my plan was to slit Coop’s throat when Arlo, theuar forift Then I could i for him to watch the man he cares for be shredded to pieces Then he’ll kno I felt when he took Derek from me”