cer'

ld wait. Everything could wait except the numbers on that monitor, and I had already memorized them an hour ago

yes o

en here?" she asked,

ong."

at said she knew I was lying and

g moment. Then: "I know

ded right bet

nch. I'd bee

," I said. "So let's skip the part where you guil

. She's not a walking blood bag. She's a pers

My voice dropped

she is a real person or an alien or a robot. Nothing else matter

ut tears slipped down the sides of her face into her hair. "You should li

her cheek. "I'm not asking for your permi

enough. Vincent stepped in and closed the door. I

s about y

to Olivia. "Wh

's g

I kept my hand

he

o. The men took her sh

ia had stabilized within hours. The doctors had been optimistic fo

ouse for a few hours. Just my way of ac

she stepped o

always mistake kindness for weakness. Th

never

not in my bedroom by then, you and the rest of the team will wish you never met me. E

moved. He nodded

ing to outrun me, I want he

ally

ld I can not control. She is about to

nodded a

. Her face was tired, r

n worse," she

can never outrun me. Even if she runs to the devil and makes her bed in hell. I'll drag her back a thousand and on

alled Johnson Mayfield. He

enc

daught

on the o

going to ask you something. I want you to

ah

w she was pl

. "I wouldn't

what matters. Your daughter signed a contra

lions into your dying company. I saved your legacy. I saved your name. And

, I can

ed. Fail, and I dismantle everything you've built-your business and your reputation. I'll take it all, and I'll

ound like I

onster," he

s promises. Find her. Y

sn't sure whether she was looking at her brother or something else we

almost immediately

arply. "Talk

emiah. The one

Olivia's bed, away from her face. I

abou

today. She asked a lot of questions. She's

d then spoke

she mentione

e truth about that night was clo

on stared back at me. The brother sitting beside Oli

e if I end up in jail for the rest of my life. B

r a second, I almost let myself feel the weight of what I was burying. The people who would never get

n't care about the method. Just ma

tand," An

ung

losed, but I knew she wasn't asleep. The tears

d the bla

e back,

toward

enc

sound of her voice-thin,

urn

es wer

ly turns you into someone