Page 37 of Lovely Darkness

I do calculations in my head. “A pint.”

“A pint?”

I nod. “Well, we gotta try all nine frequencies so it could take up to nine to find the right one. Then we’re gonna need to run the baseline, then treatment. Which could take up to five tries. So that’s what, nine, ten, fifteen? Yeah. Each dose is an ounce, so a pint. And really, if we want to err on the safe side, I’d say two pints.”

“I’m gonna need more than favors for that.”

“I’m sure Adam can provide what you need. Do you want to ask him, or shall I?”

“I’ll let you handle that,” Doc says. “He’s already spent a fortune on me and my girls.”

“Fine. I’ll get the money. How much?”

“I’d say… twenty grand?”

“Your source is sweating twenty grand?”

“He’s as legit as they come. Has never taken the bribe. Poor man makes eighty grand a year.”

“How’d he get in charge of shit if he never took the bribe money?”

“He’s not in charge. He’s a lonely old man with a closet for an office and never had a single grad student in his lab. Hell, he never even had his own lab. He gets by on collaborations.”

“Is this all about ethics and morals? Will he refuse?”

“It started that way. But he’s old now too. Not retired, because he can’t afford to be. I think he’ll be responsive.”

“Good. I can cover this for now. Adam can reimburse me. Give me your bank info and I’ll have it transferred in.”

“Anything else?” Doc asks.

“Just time, Doc. Just time.”

“So that’s it then?” I had completely forgotten about Sasha until she says this. “We’re on track?”

“Pretty much,” I say.

“So today is procurement day. Can we start tomorrow?”

We both look at Doc. He shrugs. “I can get on the road, I guess.”

“And then how long do you think?” Sasha asks.

“I’m not sure, Sash. I know you need to tell Jax when you’ll be back, but I can’t even begin to guess. So if you want to go home—”

“No. I don’t. That’s all I needed to know. I’ll call him now, talk to the kids, and then… breakfast?”

I nod and get to my feet. “I’ll go find Adam and fill him in while you do that.”

Sasha smiles at me. “I’ll go with you.”

“And I guess I’ll go pack. I’ll leave Cerene here, but Sabella will have to drive me.”

Sasha and I nod, then leave the kitchen and make our way back to the main house, both of us eyeing Donovan Couture with caution as we pass through his room.

This is when it occurs to me that Donovan lives here. Not in this makeshift hospital, but in a bedroom somewhere.

When we reach the foyer, Sasha turns to me, like she’s just about to say something, but Adam and Nick come through one of the French doors in the family room at the end of the hallway. They both stop short when they see us, then Nick is making excuses about finding Wendy, and he heads out the front door without comment. He doesn’t even look Sasha or me in the eyes as he makes his escape.