man in the booth, Ethan Cross, though she didn't know that name yet, hadn't moved. He drank his coffee like it was the only thing tethering him to this place and his eyes tracking her e

t of her ex-husband caring enough to pay so

er at the counter. "What's up

clean mugs and pretending to reorganiz

Her voice dropped to a whisper,"Cute,thoug

enough to slice through

r answering her, she carried Ethan's plate to him, setting it down carefully so she didn't have to meet his eyes for too lon

else?" she aske

e he was reading between the lines o

ng." Ava r

e minutes.

r that was cracked open just enough for Joe to poke his bal

. His voice dropped low enough that she had to bend closer to hear hi

at, help me? No one help

cing a smile that didn't reach her eye

ng up his fork. "Suit yourself." He snapped at her. She turned away before he could say anything else, focusing on the counter where an

coffee bottomless. She liked that part, the anonymity of it, the way no one asked her what kept her up at night. Ethan stayed, he didn't even fidget or scroll his phone like other lingerers. He just watched and

w this would play out. By ten, the breakfast rush was thinning, then Joe emerged from his office smelling

," he

ep moving, to keep her feet under her and her mind occupied with menia

r up. She untied her apron and ducked behind the counter, pretending not to feel Ethan's eyes following her every move. Outside, the air had shifted and a heavy wet cold that sank throu

hands shoved deep into his coat pockets and he looked bigger out here, fr

rms around herself. Her voice sounded

t short of her reach, as if he knew she'd bolt if he cr

orcing her spine st

e said. "I'm not a cop and

cold. "Well, that covers what you're

thought he might lie, that he'd spin some s

id. "Private. I work cases t

at does that hav

ost gentle, and that scared her more than his silence had. "Ava, y

been dancing around for weeks, maybe months. The sense that the world w

anything about m

ow enough. I know someone's setting you up for somethin

ng in front of her. "I don't have time for this,I have a

de her want to scream. "I'm trying to

im. Lose everything? Wha

er voice was raw. "Wh

his pocket, pulling out a folded envelope and

They're using you, Ava and if you don't listen to me, you're goin

dinary. But it felt like a bomb between them, its

ed open behind her and Joe's voice boomed through the nar

me today? Or should I dock your check for the

slipped past Joe, mumbling an apology she knew he didn't care to hear and she ducked back inside the warmth of the diner, but her hands stayed ice cold, the back

also clear the empty plates at the counter. She pretend her heartbeat wasn't loud enough to drown out the kitc

thin smile.

norted, "tell

Ethan was gone. A trickle of relief found her chest, but only for a second. S

pron pocket. Her hands shook so badly that she nearly dropped it twice. She didn't open it, Not here, under

lazy chatter of Tina, and the endless clatter of plates, it all blurre

n't dared to ask yet. By the time her shift ended, the sky outside was a dirty gray with a threatening rain that smelled like pennies and old concrete. Ava s

in, her breath ghosting in the chill. She looked for Ethan, half-hoping he'd be leaning against the dumpster, ready to fin

e she could open it, her phone buzzed in her pocket and she flinched so hard that she nearly dropped both the envelope and the cheap burner phone she'd downgraded t

bruised sky, blinking back the sting in her eyes,she couldn't fall apart,not here,not now. She shoved the envelope into her purse, hoisted her bag higher on her shoulder,

st drawn its battle lines and Ava Carter, already tir