vy, uneven breaths. The amber liquid in his crystal g

ying eyes. He hated the way her kneeling made him feel like a monster. It

nto the bar cart. The loud crack of g

brating with suppressed rage. "Stop th

of blood welled up. She kept her chin raised, her dull

oat. Her hand trembled as she pulled out a cheap pa

up in the ai

lf-step back, his muscles tensing. For a sec

ched up, grabbed a small chunk of her own du

trands of hair in

e floor and pushed herself up. Her le

to walk out of the study,

ed her out into the massive foy

the velvet sofa. She was sleeping, but her small face was s

r movements were incredibly gentle. She brushed

few strands of hair from the back of her daug

d in her sleep, shi

nd flat against the little girl's chest, patting her in a

ag, dropped Clementine's hair

nd walked back to Ezra. She he

. "Take it to any lab you trust. Do it yourself, so you know I didn't tamper

nds of blonde and brown hair rested at the bot

e remembered the photos of her walking into A

, insidious seed of d

He pinched the top corner of the Ziploc bag with two fingers,

to the wall intercom. He slammed his palm agai

zra ordered, his voice robotic. "Es

like it was being crushed in a vice, but she didn

the front doors a minute later. They stop

ked over to the sofa and sli

was too much for her failing lungs. Harlow's legs buckled. She s

r stumble, his right arm violently twitc

wn. He nailed his feet to the

mentine tightly against her chest. She turn

an endless, bottomless exha

the front doors, stepping back in

ak doors shut. The loud click of the d

eft comple

ghtened eyes was seared into his mind. There was a haunting familiarity in th

panic crashed over him

the Ziploc bag down onto it. He pulled his phone from hi

genetics lab in the country. I need an expedited, legally binding DNA te