Harlan waited until the door closed and then he went toward the window. He came to a stop a few feet away from the chair and studied Larissa’s profile. She gave no indication she was aware he was in the room.

“Hello, Larissa,” he said. “My name is Harlan Rancourt. I’m your half brother.”

Larissa did not respond.

“I’m sorry Stenson Rancourt never acknowledged you. I don’t think he was aware of your existence. That’s not an excuse. It’s who he was. I’m also sorry you felt you were cheated out of your inheritance. You had a right to be angry, but you tried to murder the innocent because you could not make the guilty pay for what was done to you. There is a line between justice and revenge. That’s the line you crossed. I know what it feels like, because I’ve come close to that line, too.”

Larissa continued to gaze, unseeing, out the window.

He stood quietly for a while, letting the silence lengthen. Larissa did not move.

“Believe it or not, I didn’t come here to deliver a lecture. I’m here because I’m your brother and you are my sister. Nothing and no one can change that fact. I wanted you to know that as Stenson Rancourt’s son, I acknowledge you as his daughter. That may not mean anything to you, but it means something to me. I have a responsibility toward you. I will make sure you get the best of care here at Halcyon.”

Another silence.

“I won’t disturb you any longer, but if you wake up and decide you want to talk to me, the hospital staff has instructions to make it happen. I will check in on you from time to time to say hello. Goodbye, Larissa.”

He turned and signaled the orderly, who was watching through the narrow, shatterproof window.

The orderly opened the door. Olivia was waiting. Harlan started to walk out of the room, but a frisson of energy on the back of his neck made him turn his head.

Larissa was staring at him. For an instant he thought he saw emotion flash in her eyes. It vanished in a heartbeat, but he knew what he had seen.

Rage.

CHAPTER 54

Victor stood at the window wall of the office and looked down. It was one o’clock in the morning and the Strip was on fire. The aura of glamour, the heat of gambling fever and the excitement that came from taking risks and stepping over the line sent waves of heat into the starry desert night. He could feel the vibe all the way up here in his office.

“Hard to believe it’s over,” he said. “After all these years, we finally found Vortex.”