lien on his shoulders, and the smell of a hundred competing fragrances was making his head spin. He felt co

eo

hrough the noise. Jace turn

eyes, the same as his, were wide with fear. The moment she spotted him, she

ti

ht embrace. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, and he c

contact. No one had ever hugged him like this. Not once in his entire life. Physical

eal, like vanilla and lilies after a spring rain. A strange, powerful sense of sec

for any sign of distress. "Don't you ever do that again," she scolded gently, her v

onfess that he wasn't Leo, that this was all a terrible mistake. But the words died in h

warm. It felt... right. She led him quickly through the

et of armored cars waiting. She just waved down a black SUV that w

o the seat, her mind briefly flashing to the meticulous planning she'd done five years ago. "Mr. Hayes" was a completely fabricated identity, a ghost profile she had created and funded thro

urse. She gently, carefully, cleaned a smudge of

expected a reprimand for being untidy, f

it up her entire face. She leaned over and

profound, earth-shattering realization settled over him. This woman, this gentle, warm, worried wom

e. Katia paid the driver, and then escorted Jace u

red. There were books stacked on a side table, a pair of running shoes by the door, a framed photo of Leo laughing on the wall.

id, dropping her bags by the stairs. "I'l

ror-his own face, but wearing Leo's clothes, living Leo's life. He turned on the tap and washed hi

etables, a small, contented smile on her face as she hummed a soft

sland and sat down, watching her, completel

of him. It wasn't the bland, nutritionally balanced paste he was used to. It was rich

small, hes

It was warm. It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. A

and rushed to his side, her face a mask of con

sleeve of the leather jacket. "No," he whispered, his voice

sture so full of casual affection it made his heart ache. "Well, there

t vow to himself. He would not let Janeen Foster, or anyone else, ever take this away fr

e of the smartwatch Leo had given him. He sent a single, encrypted

. Leo had received it. Phase two of

letely unaware that the quiet, teary-eyed boy at h