colder than it

d drained from it, the way his hand gripped the ph

repeated. "

oever was on the other end of the line. His ja

to go,"

wh

ng, grabbing his coat from the back of a

im inside. "I'm

N

or

and his eyes were hard.

at contract." She crossed her arms. "And t

ared

your devoted wife, what kind of wife lets h

ng p

Fine. But let me

ent-lit and smelled like

an as a detective-a tired-looking man na

ing the area as part of a routine follow-up. It was buried in sedi

uch the folder.

s blood type. We're r

ian's face. He wa

she died," Dorian said quietly.

s leaned back. "It was missing. We assumed it was lost in the river.

le

anted it,"

s tilted his head. "Where were

pier. We argued. She

confir

e picked me u

e was alr

now she was dead. I thought she'd gone to her sis

ied him. "C

oked at her. "If my husband had killed her, why would he keep t

ed. "Killers

ne else kept it. Someone

or a long moment. Then

's not leaving the state." He stood. "An

e home i

ws. Amara kept glancing at Dorian, but he

use, he walked straight to the bar a

drink," A

ght I

him down it

ria

dn't

over, standing besi

"That I'm being framed? That someone wants to destroy me?

e faced h

Not the ruthless CEO. Not the calculating businessman.

I couldn't protect her. And now someone is using he

d out and to

down at th

haking,"

kno

dn't l

et me h

y? Why do you care? Y

it's like to carry something alone. And I know what

h caught.

u." She met his

moment, he

he pulled her

a kiss. It was a man holding onto some

ld him

woke on the couch with a

ered Dorian's arms around her. The way his bre

p, rubbin

n counter, laptop open,

out who accessed the evidence locker. Someone put

, pouring herself

d at her

up, she asked

ut I have someone looking into i

ho

Ex-military

m him. "What about m

a press conference this afternoon. Same th

e r

. "The media is going

to get ah

r. "Which is why I need y

ha

the counter. "I need you

froze.

an's eyes were steady. "I need to know what he knows.

tell me

paused. "You're

photo. Her father, standing outside a building

n having hi

to know

folder. Her han

o see him... you need t

yth

ind to destroy him." She me

quiet for a

owly, he

romi

stood outside her fa

She hadn't been here in five years.

ok a b

e walke

assistant-a woman Amara didn't recognize-led

for ten

e door

en wal

Thinner. His eyes, when they landed on her

a," h

ad

feet apart, a decade

ell," he sa

ere for sm

e table and sat down. "Yo

ria

bitter on his tongue. "The

n't kil

s flashed. "You

now

own him fo

been watching him for years. You know everything about him. Which m

r's jaw t

things I ca

? Or w

ma

I never was. But if you keep going after him, yo

t, she saw something flicker

you think," h

ll me wh

s silent for

stood. "

? Or w

gs about Elena Vasquez's death that you don't kn

lp me un

. "If I tell you... y

s hung i

heart

do you

Elena Vasquez are still out there."

ding with more ques

lindly, her

ho killed El

new who had killed he

her phone and

say?" he aske

people who killed her. That they're watching." She

le

ria

d quietly. "I kn

ha

was heavy. "And if they're watchin

Amara coul

at the ceiling, her father'

killed El

k on h

open

there, hold

show you

et hi

d opened the laptop. On the scre

ng Elena's death," he said. "I found

e wh

A man. Middle-aged.

ss at the time. She worked at a pharmac

nd

als. Illegal trials. She was going to expose it." He

old. "And you? Why

, it goes public." He paused. "But if they can destroy my credibilit

smokes

act

e screen. At Victo

do w

losed th

Something concrete." He looked at h