ammed the brakes, threw open his door, and spr

out of the trailing cars in a p

and watched Lorenzo lo

ing his hands. The crane still sat at the edge of the concrete platform, its rusted h

along the cut edge. The brush on the hillside had been smashed into a jagged gash; broken branc

looked down-layer upon layer of brush, deep and

se, unrecognizable. "She fell. Cha

it herself. See? She cut the rope, fell, and got up and walked away on her own. She's

from the steward, dropped the hook hard to the ground

ragged and frayed-pulled paper-thin, burs

this. This was a violent, catastrophic

raight at Bianca, looming over her, his deep

w it was almost a whisper in the dead air, "then why? All she

her throat. She stared at the burst rope in his

ed, and the bellow rolled

ank back, stumbling. "Maybe she j

ak is burst and frayed, not cut! The platform edge is covered in blood. The brush is smashed open. She went over that slo

d out his radio, switching to

. "Go down through the gash in the brush. Comb the woods behind the hill. Until we find her, no one leaves!" The st

rms again. "Lorenzo, you're overreacting.

r and turned to the black SUV

open, displaying a th

heart of the bouquet, stuffed it in his pocket, and bolted. The flowers were breathtaking-

ic chime cut thr

alarm set for the moment Loren

ens Bianca had synced to that alarm

photo Lorenzo himself had chosen b

midair-and blown up that large, ever

e they stood, stari

r contorting my features. They saw the tears soaking my co

waiting for her lov

agony, begging for her life

ant screen, and his brea

t in his head shattered at once. H

er her mouth as she staggered back from the screen.

d. She took a hesitant step forward, starin

ll and frantic. "She's hiding in the brush watchin

tol from his shoulder holster, chest heaving, e

rsh static crackled fro

haking, shot through with raw, primal fear. "Boss, we'r

radio. "Did you find

uffocatin

, sounding as if he were about to vomit. "Call an ambu

lor drained from

rass with a muffled thud. In that instant, the entire p