otsteps, Alexis slipped off her coat and leaned

of expensive white lilies, his f

wake! When I heard you fain

a churning in her stomach, she lowered her eyelashes and drew her hand back under the

you fina

sed his eyes. He set the l

up. The second I finishe

ult. If I'd paid more attention to you at th

n her eyes. Alexis reached out and took

just that Colby was two hours late. I t

s usual. Colby relaxed completel

e? You're the onl

en admiration. To change the subject, Bobbye hurried over to pour a glass of water, deliberately raising her

her past life, and she had once been stupid enough to admire it out loud. She

m Bobbye, his shirt collar gaped open. A

round your neck? You

ar and stopped halfway, as though she had just remembered something. Two

ust an ordinary protect

off. I

exi

it off, you have a

he only sound in the ward was

in and dropped it into her palm. A small

She held it up between two

k at this. I

held. "It's...

has no taste at al

.Ye

letters, engraved in cursive: C & B. "Then t

he took half a step back, and her hand mo

by, whose name did you have carved and wear against you

his shirt. "Alexis, don't overthink th

ing but their own crest for four gener

nt into the metal trash can beside the bed. It struck the bottom with a loud clang. Bob

pletely unreasonable!" Col

he entrance, holsters visible at their waists-Austyn's deta

exis pressed her fingertips to her for

ecklace makes my chest hurt. You

d from the trash can to the men

gue with you. I'll come see yo

stiff smile in her direction and

iped her fingers with a tissue, took out her phone, and photographed the pendant whe

ow how you did that without blinking." Then she glanced do

e was laughing, her hand hooked through Colby's arm, her head resting on his shoulder. He bent and kissed her hair. Then

s dug into the wind

r, looking down. Her voice was f

in her friend's face stopp

into the traffic on Fifth Avenue, and behind her the monitor went on bee