flashed, and she didn't see herself. She saw her father. Three years ago. The flashing lights of the

e doors hissed open. A wave of bodies pushed her out onto th

buzzed in

e Dive. N

neck. The Dive was exactly what it sounded like-a hole in the wall with s

Blue Ribbons already on the table. She looked up a

a said, sliding a beer tow

her hands around the cold glass. "J

her voice lowering. "The engag

sip of the beer. It tasted like water and aluminu

ket and unlocked it. She turned the screen toward El

Golden Gate Bridge, but the caption read Back to NYC. He was older, his should

el

r ribs. Her hand jerked, splashing

or is he sold his start-up for nine figures. He's

to look at her, like she was the only thing in the world that mattered. And then the memory of the da

owing cracks, the illegal dealings starting to surface. She didn'

ispered. "He can't know ab

e same circles, El. New

in those circles anymore, Kiana. I'm the

ast day in SF, but look at the location tag on his latest story-The Grind,

r pocket made her jump.

: Where

ctuation. A deman

the bar. CNBC was playing a clip of Braxton leaving his office building,

the text. He was ch

im?" Kia

She quickly t

ed off t

ney. Fast. I need to pay the nursing home without using his al

It's not glamorous. High-end translation agency. They need someone fluent

the flyer. "

odi

I'm not back at the penthouse when he

heavier now. She walked to the subway, clutching the flyer like a lifelin