if she'd been burned, her face

mouth slightly agape. His kind, wrinkled fa

so profound, so utterly debasing, that it took every ounce of his monumental self-control not to seize her by the throat. His

ation. The truth-that she was searching her comatose husband for

igh and unsteady. "I was just checking his..

hock to deep, profound skepticism. "H

ubled down. "It's a... a folk method! From where I come from," she

enius. Mr. Hayes was far too polite, too well-trained, to call the

audacious. She was a shameless and incredibly quick-witted liar. The "simple girl from the Rust Belt" perso

traight and smoothed down her nightgown. "As you can see," s

ey's shoulder, a firm, appraising gesture. "He's in excellen

fresh wave of fury through Hadley. She was talking a

rate to change the subject. "Yes, well. I came to inform you that Dr

to gather information. Aria's

fessional and serious. "I want to be present fo

ersational ground. He quickly excused himself, backing

ed. She pressed her hands to her burning cheeks, mortified

self-deprecating smile touching her lips.

truder. Liar. Groper. And now she was mocking him. He made a silent, vicious promise

direct search had been a catastrophic failure. She needed a new approach. The doctor's visit was a perfect

e detached, curious gaze of a scientist. Her earlier comment to Mr. Hayes hadn't been entirely a lie. He was in remarkabl

or the steady beat of his pulse, to understand the medical mystery of his condition. The im

o find the locket was becoming entangl

etely. He felt it not as curiosity, but as something predatory, something c