single word was enough to extinguish the small, warm

ove between two buildings that offered a sliver of privacy. The city noise fe

do you

ull of gravel and impatience. "Have you thought about what

made her laugh. Shane was a greasy, small-eyed pre

said, her voice cold and h

e you going to come up with one hundred thousand dollars, Finley? Don't you fo

ley's stomach clenched. Her mother, Sharon, was a gentle,

u come home tonight. You tell Shane yes. You put a smile on your face and you do what'

ne wen

ening to the dial tone. He would do it. He would throw

agree. If she walked through that d

the darkness. The key in her pocket. The address

uld move in anytime, but was that just something people said? A polite formality? Sh

ain. This time, i

ked sob. "Just listen to him. Just for a little

er to be the sacrifice, broke something in Finley. It wasn't an

d, and hung up before her mo

st of her hesitatio

gers hovered over the keyboard, her mind racing. How

deleted, typ

o bother yo

problem.

e just wrot

k. The apartment... is the offer to move in

She watched the screen, her entire future hanging

at if he asked questio

me in less t

home. Do you need me

o

orce of a physical blow. Tears pricked the back o

re clumsy as s

don't have much. I

Let me know whe

ranted. Life

just going to run. She was going to walk into tha

er share of the rent, saying a family emergency had come up and she had t

ng in the direction of the subway that would t

going

. She opened her map app and plugged in the

nia, Garrison read her reply

parked near Dozier Mccarthy's address in Queens in the next hour

d to be a test of her char

ting far faster th