ilding. The chaotic noise of the Manhattan street was a dull roar

almost invisible in the sea of yellow cabs and black town ca

the rear passenger door for her. He did it with the practic

She slid into the c

The city's noise vanished, replaced by an oppressive, suffoc

the window, his jaw tight, the muscles in his cheek twitching. The car pulled s

not

ng his head. It wasn't a

et of paper onto the e

tterhead of the genetics lab, the bolded, cl

found Leo. He

s voice on the phone suddenly

lifted her head and met his gaze as he finally turned t

was unnatura

red with icy composure,

s shocking in the confined car. He braced his hands on the seat on e

us growl. "You disappeared for two years, a

of cedar and clean linen, filled h

on was ripped from him, raw with a pain and betra

of it all, made something inside her snap. A lau

with a sudden, liberating rage. "Brice, before you ask me th

ker of confusi

dn't even remember my birthday! But you al

him like a

nd the inferno in his eyes was repl

m back. The contact was brief, but it was enough to break his cage. She scramble

he said, her voice cutting. "Because you were nev

he silent car, shar

out my life. And you have no

in his life, he felt a profound sense of powerlessness. He could buy and sell compa

oice ringing with authority. She wasn

ice's in the rearview mi

at the back of her head, his jaw

hout a backward glance, Everleigh pushed the door op

ehind her. She pulled out her phone, her hands surprisingl

oment he answered. "I need

ach merge back into

divorce attorney in New York. The

eath, the city air

ne thing: to get the name Mckinney of