it was a rolling fortress. A stretched, black SUV wi

s a tree trunk, opened the rear door. "M

said, sliding onto the leather seat.

aced by the dense, manicured greenery of the North Shore, Elsie felt a tightening in her chest.

that wound through a forest of ancient oaks. The house itself sat on a cliff overlooking the Sound. It

d. The driver

e looked like he had been carved out

I am Godfrey. Mr. Hunter is

asked, trying to sound like the

ood day," Godfrey

rtment building inside it. The air was cool and smelled

double doors. Godfrey knoc

ins," he

tepped

the dying light of the sunset filtering through heavy velvet d

room, near the firepl

her. He was looking into the fire. A

a breath.

to the Persian rug. She softened her fac

said softly.

ed as he turned it a

les under his eyes, his bone structure was devastating. High cheekbones, a nose

ooked like a caged predato

her short hair, then her shoes, then her eyes.

he said. His voice was a low ras

els," Elsie said, kee

hacking sound that shook his shoulders. He reached for a gl

in. She stepped forwar

hed for

hot out. He gri

k grasp of a dying man. It was iron. It

his. For a second, the sheer po

e hissed.

the chair, his chest heaving, his face draining of what little color it had. Sweat beaded instantly on his foreh

said terminal patients sometimes have bursts of adrenaline before the crash. She watched

whispered, watching him with a mi

closing his eyes as if the light hurt them

sympathy evaporating as she rubbed the re

hat turned into another cough. "Silas sai

and turned on a projector screen that desc

charity gala. Wednesdays, dinner with my mother. Fridays, y

id. "And what do we

r my heart to stop beating," Hardin said flatly. "Tha

lsie corrected. "That implies

now," Hardin said.

rdl

light danced in his eyes, maki

be late. And don't look at me like I'm a charity cas

try," E

elt his eyes on her back, burnin

wall in the hallway. She looked down at her wrist

the spot.

d to herself. "For a dying

rdin Hunter waited unt

the tremor in his hands to stop. It wasn't an act. The rage, the need to maintain

his phone and

ttled?" Si

s voice still raspy. "She tri

e buy t

bought it. But just barely. She's observant." He paused, looking at the tablet on hi

s,

report. He tried to

it. But he'

omes within ten miles of this house, break his legs. She's

stood,

air and covered his legs. He hated the chair. B