the parking lot of a cheap motel on the edge of town. A neon

water stains on th

room," Elvie stated, her voice trembling wit

. The temperature inside the cabin immediately began to drop,

as suffocating. She pushed her door open, popped her br

the rain. The wind whipped her wet hair against her cheeks. She crossed her arm

inding xenon headlights pie

he road. Sandwiched between them was an extended-wheelbase Maybach. Th

he air smelled faintly of expensi

was clenched tight. A vicious migraine, born from years of severe

view mirror. He saw the tight lines of pain around Dono

uttered. "I-80 being closed completely

and roughly loosened his silk tie. His breathing was shallo

lass rolled down

nto the cabin. It hit Donovan's face, offering

ly past the flickering

gaze drifted through the rain and lande

econd, Celina l

ng neon sign of the motel cast a dim, eerie glow into the pitch-black cabin, momentarily illuminating the sharp, shadowed profile of th

van

There was only a raw, untamed defiance and a chilling coldness t

not belong to a girl standing in

e a single, hard th

ead stopped. The silence in his brain was

outline of a man's face in the back seat. He radiated a c

t rolled past her and disa

ded. His voice was low, raspy,

on the brakes. "What's wr

he window down completely. He tw

vy. The motel was sw

t stare was burned into his retinas. His chest rose and

Bentley parked at the

across the console. A few

mily in New York," Preston said,

in, tapping the screen to pull up the Hayes family's recent movements and background checks. He straightened, his expre

rhythmic motion betraying the sudden, intense focus in his

The name rolled off his t

We aren't going straight to the penthouse tomor

er wasted his time on new-money families like the H

t the car in drive, and the con