ce a low, demanding bark as he ordered his executive assistant, M. Shepp

rrying a heavy, dark-matte paper bag with a gold foil logo

sliver of space, he saw Kendal sitting on a worn vinyl sofa. Her head was tipped back ag

s massive frame blocked the flu

exhaustion vanished, replaced by a hard, defensive gla

plastic table. His voice cracked slightly as he begged her to eat, mentioni

. A cold, mocking laugh escaped her lips. She asked him wh

of the bag. Without a second of hesitation, she turned and

y bag hit the bottom of the plas

white. A flash of dark, violent hurt crossed his eyes, but he bit t

im to stop doing things that made her sick to h

nting her footsteps. He watched her swap her lab coat for a tan tr

keeping thirty feet between them. The air in the garag

ressed the button on her key fob. The headligh

a pillar, his eyes t

t in immediately. She leaned across the center

t inside the

onto the interior.

eat was a brightly colored

boy. It had absolutely

toy, his eyes dropped to her left

, a massive, perfectly cut diamond enga

hysical blade. The blade drove straight throu

tilt. He slammed his palm against the rough pillar to keep himsel

her pocket. The screen lit up her face. Elmore could see the not

of her face softened. The corners of her

filled his ears. His blood boiled with a toxic, consuming jealousy. He wanted to

protective look in her eyes eight years ago. If

e. Kendal backed out of the spac

the smell of her exhaust. He pulled his phone

, hollow sound from the bottom of hell. He ordere