am or cry when

me in shallow slips, her heartbeat stumbling through her chest like it wasn't sure how to survive in a world wher

e room. It hit the edge of her sock drawer and bounced, landed fac

ell had f

ad the money. The reach. A past paved with secrets and favors. That car had always felt too quiet, too insulate

thought out, gr

ed c

d the other one fro

the texts

aren't you a

ooked so good

opped th

nd yanked the blinds closed. Checked the door - locked. The clos

had memorized it from behind glass. Like someone had been breathing behind a

over her mouth, breath coming

more. It was survei

-

the hallway, soft but tight. "D

froze.

d this morning. Th

orget. She n

ash drive in one hand, phone in the other. Zara turned,

slowly, "what t

ive on the table li

ed. "What

ota

wh

him in t

e out. "You mean someone - Tess, tell

he did. But I

ed to go. You nee

can

ck a bag. Bl

r voice cracking. "He's

upposed to ma

to me. He'd tell

means someone else is watching you. Someone close enough to get into t

didn't

rst part wasn'

sn't

omeone else had

apart, begging

ike it was wo

felt like a trap. Every whisper bent into her name. She couldn't look at her profe

ne buzz

e. You're on

to the bathroom b

arely delete the message. She deleted Dorian's missed calls too. But

about the

ts were the on

l did it get i

t or call,she

meetings no one was supposed to know about.

, her heart

like someone who had

a," h

ed the flash drive from her c

t call," h

dn't wa

is t

tel

n his palm. Didn't plug it in. Didn

record us,

're

hers. "If I had,

ook away. "T

side of the drive. "I r

h twisted. "Wh

I used to do business with the man who marks his foota

atching me to

"They're not watching you, Tessa. T

d. "I don't bel

nd knowing. "You

se it'

he truth out of her mouth. "Then why are you still here

. The camera. Nathan's face. Zara's voice. Her own voice saying I'm yours like a promise and a prophecy. And Dorian -

w tighter. Bit her lip

riest part wasn

g that somewh

ted her to

next

dy to film th