SSA'

Lucien's study, or the rain tapping the windows, or even Darian bickering with the securi

was supposed

evrin. "My mo

my mouth, like I was borro

dn't

e yesterday morning. She asked if I'd eaten, complained about the neighbor's mutt, grumbled abo

was carved i

ow

the detective.

tching the key so hard it bit into my pal

res

, someone's broken into my room, the police think I killed my own husband- And I've supposedly inherited an empire I never

low. "So. You tell

t Darian, who g

her was declared dea

ed. I tried to breathe.

she died when y

her did

, quiet.

re ly

sh I

voice. That weird little scar above her eyebrow. The way she double-lo

declare

ped low. "A woman n

shaking my head. "Tha

as living under a

ot blinking. "Why

ayed

hy

ce flat. "Because some

d on hi

ed. "We do

y it. "You

who ord

skipped

hed. "That's

prob

mother's death is tied to

oom was sliding a

es

band's murder-and my moth

thin

ut, "You

ted in, "L

around. "K

mother wa

efore the wedding. For three years. My whole marri

hy

ftened. "He was

rless laugh that burst o

s wh

always getting protected but somehow that

ed closer.

hand. "Don't say my

red, but his voice st

ll me th

d away.

y n

ths are d

barely a whisper, "Pretty su

then said, almost too quietly,

ask him what he meant

TH

white; Darian just froze. The phone ra

om

th

om

on the o

voice.

ef punching through.

"Where

he ho

ng changed. Sharper.

twisted in

the h

om

just get away from there." H

in, who was alre

s-did Lucie

"Tell m

soft as a bre

om

dn't hav

ai

ove

he line

ack. No answer. Agai

o Sevrin.

y on his phon

his arm. "You kn

don

said she

ed. "I know where she l

me t

ed. "It's

n't c

ed up. "I'll

on hi

know what's

her d

more t

t h

. "I can pr

one said that t

for a second, I thought I saw reg

him," he s

ow what to

s study. "I promised my b

l squeeze. "You promis

omeone was coming. He wan

ught I had the

n believed the less you k

's dead," I

n fli

estly, I was sick of it. I ne

into the room. "I

. Small coastal town, two hours from

up. "Le

for his jacke

N

not goin

't tru

" He held my stare.

n't let me just walk out. The house was swarming with officers

tive. "I have to

immediately. "

er's in

send of

N

e a su

didn't murder my husband." My vo

ceded. "You'll

in

nce, wet and tense, the rain coming down in sheets against the

ast ten minutes before

ave gone through

look at h

wheel, "-some of what yo

ady hurt,

not th

tell

the road. "You'll fi

now

lot of

w that

hought it was the onl

storm. "Yeah. Everyone

, "Doesn't mean

"Did he

ere white on the st

as too quick

other. That's

aking in his expression. "No.

y voice dropped.

t ahead. "Lucien loved you l

eath for a s

dn't

ria

on the road, li

k at

eact

w who I was bef

es

w l

nce you wer

old photograph. The secrets.

appened

lmost

. "Who at

on't

ew who ordered m

meone conne

ho

le

ria

stared

know.

can

hy

made me

gh. "Dead men leave to

his phone rang. He answered and someone spoke-too q

going so pale I worried he'd snap

rd killed the c

hun

. "What

ans

what ha

shaken. "The police foun

ha

forced the words

car I thought my heart

s were haunt

wenty minutes ago, Sevr

I whis

s time, he answered quietly, l

at

a sound. "The officers follo

med to stop. Even the rai

oad stretched empty behind

d his foot do

red. "What's ha

s head. "I

re ly

ed-and not for me

ed. One new messag

ed the

t was our car. Shot

ds unde

VE STAYED WIT

essage bl

COMING

ding outside a plain white house. Her face twisted with fear. And behin

was short. Ju

MBERS EV