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She started sliding doard, and doing his best to keep a lid on the panic threatening to consume him, Hunter swept her up into his ar at a rapid pace Helena was sitting at the kitchen table doing soht of hi Elle’s limp for, forcing hi stop, which he didn’t appreciate

“What are you doing?” she dehtily

Hunter found it odd that Helena hadn’t asked thewith Elle? or Is she okay?, when her stepdaughter was clearly barely conscious in his arms

“Get out ofElle to the hospital”

The other woy about Helena that Hunter didn’t miss “She has the flu,” she said with a dis rapidly, anxiously “She just needs to sleep it off”

“Whatever it is, she needs iainst his chest, then tiny convulsions shook her body, ra up Hunter’s concern to the next level “I don’t have tiet the fuck out of rowl that had her quickly stepping to the side so he could pass

As he headed into the living roo”

Ignoring Helena, because he had nothing left to say to her, he shifted Elle so he could open the front door, then passed through, not bothering to close it behind hirateful that Helena hadn’t followed him outside, because he was not in a benevolentwith her

It took hier side of his car and secure her seat belt across her body Her arms clutched her sto to destroy hiency room as quickly as possible

He closed her door and started around the vehicle to the driver’s side just as he saw, out of the corner of his eye, solanced in that direction and realized that it was one of Elle’s stepsistersClaire, if he re a pair of paja across the laard him barefoot

“Hunterwait” For all the urgency in the other woman’s words, her voice was low and hushed, as if she didn’t want anyone to know she was talking to him

Hunter’s jaw clenched in irritation “I don’t have ti his car door open as the other girl reached hi her to the hospital”

Claire stopped a few feet away fro the e her features “It’sarsenic”

Everything inside of Hunter froze, turning the blood in his veins as cold as ice as he prayed to fucking God that he’d ain?”

“Elle’s been poisoned, with arsenic,” she repeated as she twisted her fingers together anxiously in front of her “I saw ar jar thisshe’s been doing it, but I never thought it would coitimate tears filled Claire’s eyes “I don’t want Elle to die, and the doctors need to kno to treat her”