THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

little girl immediately rolled onto her side and drew her little legs up into a fetal position. Ainsley took her free hand and squeezed the nail bed of her thumb. Her color bounced back satisfactorily. “You’re right.”
    “Healing sleep is what she needs more than anything right now, but we should be ready with plenty of fluids when she wakes.”
    As Ainsley tucked the blankets around her fiercely sleeping daughter, she blinked back tears. Poor little mite.
    She turned to Delano. “Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome. But there’s one last thing.” He knelt beside the bed and put a large, gentle hand on Devon’s temple.
    “Can you hear me, little one?”
    Devon slipped her thumb into her mouth, but she nodded her head on the pillow.
    “Good girl. Now listen carefully. You were very brave out there, braver than any child in the history of the world, and your mother,” he glanced at Ainsley, “is very proud of you. We’re all very proud of you. But now you can forget about it. When you wake, you will have no memory of the bad man or anything he did. Now sleep, little one.”
    Devon burrowed deeper into her pillow, and Delano stood.
    Through her tears, Ainsley smiled. “If I hadn’t already fallen for you, that would have done it.” She moved into his arms, sliding her hands around his back.
     
     

 
    Chapter 23
     
    “OH, MY LOVE.” Delano swallowed, but he couldn’t dislodge the ache of emotion in his throat. He pulled her closer, pressing her tear-wet face into his shirt. His cracked ribs protested the pressure, but he welcomed the pain. He was alive. He was human . And he was so full of love for this woman that he feared he would die of the pain of it, of the time they might not have together. If they didn’t survive this…
    Another tremor shook his whole body. God, he’d never felt weaker. The compulsion he’d worked on the terrified child had probably cost him the last of his resources, but he was fiercely glad he’d been able to do it.
    Ainsley’s child.
    The wonder of it had him blinking back tears again. The poor wee thing might just have saved the day. Hell, she might have saved humanity.
    But only if they acted fast.
    Delano grasped Ainsley’s arms and put her away, clearing his throat. “I’m sorry, my love, but we’ve used up half our reprieve. We have to get back to the table and formulate a plan.”
    “I know.” She wiped the tears away with her palms and led the way back to the dining room.
    Eli was just terminating a radio conversation when they entered the room. “How’s the kid?” he asked.
    “She’s sleeping.”
    Ainsley sent Delano a look overflowing with a mother’s gratitude. It was enough to make him want to weep again. He deserved no glory for that small piece of healing, not when he’d left a child to do a man’s job.
    She turned back to Eli. “I think she’s going to forget the whole thing.”
    Eli nodded. “Makes sense. Believe me, it wouldn’t be the first case of trauma-induced amnesia I’ve seen in a pediatric patient in my travels.”
    “I’ve seen it, too,” Ainsley said, “but Del didn’t leave anything to chance. He gave her a little help in the form of a hypnotic suggestion.”
    “Enough.” The word emerged harsher than he intended. More softly, he continued: “We need a plan to bring this monster down, and we need it fast. We have…” he checked his watch, “approximately nine-and-a-half minutes.”
    Eli scowled. “I’ve been beating my head against the proverbial wall trying to figure a way, but his hostage trumps everything we’ve got. Not to mention the big guns. If there’s a way to storm that copter and extract Mrs. Michaels safely, I’m not seeing it.”
    Delano’s eyes narrowed, as a picture came to him of another monster lying on his deathbed after infusing the Merzetti blood. Of course!
    “Maybe we don’t have to storm the helicopter.”
    Eli’s face hardened. “Don’t even suggest it, Delano. Neither of you are going to walk out there and turn yourselves over. You know you won’t live to get off the roof of this building, and he’ll kill the hostage anyway.”
    “I’m not suggesting that. At least not yet. First, let’s see if we can get him to do our work for us.”
    “I’m not following.”
    “I think I’m beginning to.” Ainsley stepped closer, searching his eyes.
    “Whoa, what am I missing? What are we talking about here?”
    “Remember Edward Webber, the vampire who attacked me back in St.