d of ozone and

over the bed. The sound of the defibrillator thum

He lowered the paddles. He looked at

al mask down and wal

oftly. "Her heart is too weak.

's knees

de her. His large hand gripped her upper arm, holding

iled out of the room, leaving th

ed. She grabbed Eleanor's thin, bruised hand and pressed it a

ened. Her cloudy eyes darted around the room

or reached up and pulled the

whispered. Her voice

ght here," Charlotte choke

She looked at the tall, imposing man st

wed slightly. "Is th

tched. Her heart hamm

dn't let Eleanor leave this world knowing her granddaughter

e, but the words caught in her t

nd rested on Cha

ive frame, taking a knee on the hard floor

tly covered Eleanor's

ntle, stripped of all its previous coldness. "I'm

head to look at him, h

ngers squeezed Charlotte's shoulder,

ooked at the sharp cut of his jaw, the expensive fabric

the corners of Eleanor's lips

fingers with the last

irl," Eleanor whis

into the dying woman's

ing with absolute certainty. "As long as I a

in the air, h

kled cheek, disappearing into her gray hair. The tens

ead slightly to

leanor breathed out.

moving. Her hand slipped out of Daxton's

unbroken tone. The green line on

ace in the mattress, her fingers curling into the bedsheets as she

on the floor. A strange, tight sensation gripped his chest

of his suit jacket and pulled out

. He didn't int

on the bed, right next to her trembling hand. Then, he st