through the gap in the heavy velvet curtai

r the window. He hadn't slept. He h

pt on the white sheets. She was curled into a tight ball

htly. He reached out, his long fingers carefully brushing a

mark was there. Dark re

hest. His jaw tightened. He pulled his hand b

he top drawer and pulled out a plain, cheap-looking business card. It had no corp

e W

e a quick note. He pulled a few crisp hundred-dollar bills from his

rating buzz shattered

Alaina's damp canva

e pulled the cracked smartphone from the

: St. Ann's M

ck into her bag. He turned on his heel and walked straight into the marble bathroo

showerhead, hitting the ti

jolted Ala

ing. Her eyes darted wildly around the unfami

damp sweater. Nothing had been touched. Her body ached,

ush of water fr

st night. He wa

She grabbed her canvas bag from the floor. As she turned towa

atched

Biotechnolo

g was sharp and aggressive. Take th

harity, but the blunt words stripped away the pity. She shoved the business card

brated again

, pressing it to her ear as sh

is Nurse Davis from St. Ann's. Your mother's vitals just dropped. We need

Alaina's face. Her fi

ng," she

perly. She crushed the heels down, unlocked t

room doo

s. Water dripped from his dark hair onto his broad chest.

y was st

k pulled at the c

up a heavy, encrypted black smart

wered instantly

Kyle ordered. His voice was no longer the lazy drawl of a drunk. It was

said. "They belong to Fred Porter. He

es. Kyle's fingers tightened around the phon

softly. The name taste

ow, looking down at the yellow cabs sw

for me," Kyle commanded. "M

s,

. Find every weak point in his family's

ding toward Brooklyn. The air was stale and smelled of wet woo

dying. Fred w

cold fingers brushed against the stiff

d black suit from the closet. He picked up the small velvet box on the de

he lid. The