he mansion op

ng over one shoulder, sunglasses

back one this time and slid in, crossing her leg

ll here?" s

ait," Liam re

de glance. "What

dn't

aced his hand

u're not any better than me, right? Just another

cted a r

ot was a quie

yanked the seat

ilence

ti

dark van swerved onto the driveway-fast.

flicked to t

e from earlier-now parked

nto reverse as the Bentley screeched b

, hands grippin

ree-pinging against th

ntain in a smooth drift, then sl

Her voice was trembling.

dn't

ere white agai

ead, one thi

n't part o

was

ok was in more dan

the m

r like a second skin, thic

her fingertips, watching herself in the mirror

ath was

nds tr

hate

eart was trying to punch through her

ound of metal biting into metal. Liam's voice barki

dn't just come i

Icy. Let it run over her wrists. Try

grip

to clear the tears that h

he bathroom do

d her tow

" she s

le

ce. Calm. Un

l have the security team sweep the

ven though she was glad f

y's puppet,"

was a

d of retreati

back to t

n f

creaked

ft s

or Liam's

blin

it

th

of breath. Ju

sp

o

he tub. Picked up her phone. It was

aze landed on the small bat

as a

gh for so

n

caught in

ts flick

owel bar off its hinge.

oice again. Closer

she shouted, he

flew op

, eyes scanni

g, barely wrapped in her towel an

't even

in a clean arc. Gu

she whispered. "I swear.

indow in seconds. Sca

dn't brus

her she was b

ocked the window. Pull

back, her eyes

still

she whispered,

e said, jus

eyes l

flickered in the

ing da

h, but a sharp beep cu

's w

ked it.

ked back

," he said, vo

hy

the door. The

alarm on the south w

didn't roll her eyes or toss some

irst set of clothes she could find. Her hands still tremb

up by her overprotective father. This w

and tested-was the only one standing between

and a hoodie, heart thudding in t

ered now but tension rippling through e

ntrol-yet clearly ready to lose

ghts flickered again-twice this ti

meone's messing with the cir

h

so

in

ibe

ups

ble creak of

nd to silence he

someone-dropping down into

ned, gun

ck. Masked. Sil

sn't the

illed into the hallwa

re surr

s a whisper, pure

ghtened on

y behi

e

ront window ex