l her knuckles turned white. The morning sun glared off the

" she said, though her

believe the paparazzi are often camped out at the corner café this time o

ndeed watching, his eyebrows raised slightly at the sight of

he leather seat. The interior smelled faintly of the same s

anhattan traffic. The partition between the front and back was down. Hali

d, his eyes meeting her

s. It felt wrong to say the street name in

. "Brooklyn.

thread on the seat-wait, there were no loose threads in a

ly. His tone was casual, conversational, as if he were

felt the blood rush to her face. "I don't know what you'

l sound. "Mistakes usually d

it to her. She remembered the way Ezra had looked at her last night in the elevator. There had been a hunger in

wishing the ground wo

he jumped, her heart skipping a

alls. Passed out early last nig

the screen. P

t call to him: 11:45 PM. Irving was a

tened in her stomach.

uspicion. The date. She did the mental math quic

blood drain f

e said. Her voice

n the mirror. "Ms. Andrews

a CVS right there. I ne

e understood. He didn't say a word, just signaled and pulle

the door. She scrambled out, near

y planning aisle, her heart pounding in her ears. She felt like everyone was lookin

ne pill. Fifty dollars. A small price

scanned the box. She looked at Hali's expensive suit, then at her messy hair,

trail. She shoved the box into her bag

t she had bought. He simply merged back into traffic.

ught. And if he suspe

the car finally pulled up to her worn-down apartment building in Brooklyn, the contrast was star

i muttered, push

ews," Fin

ed, look

" Finley said. His voice was devoid of mocke

shut and ran up the

, she got the door open and stumbled into her apartment. She locked the deadbolt, thr

quiet

nds trembled as she tore the foil packagi

s with tap water, and swallowed the pi

er her. It was psychosomatic, she knew, but sh

cent off her. She needed

She looked at herself in the mirror. The bruises on her n

and it. She scrubbed her skin until it was raw

out. She bundled the Chanel suit and the lingerie into a plastic bag and shoved it i

as Lia, her best friend and

night? I swear I saw him

he message. The

ted her saying

stomach twisted

t being at a club? Un

h, blocks away, Finley typed a

pharmacy. She lo

Gardner looked at the message. The phone in hi

ed his eyes, exhaling a slow, controlled breath. Then, with a sudden, violent motion, he