him, not respond

was alrea

her? With e

re bulletproof. The hallways had motion sensors. Every corner had cameras.

f the study-that would have

wanted to create chaos. To br

t to

ked at

t wasn't me

the residual smoke from her

t the buy-one-get-one-free bonu

's mouth twitched-a f

e very

anger should have terrified her. And yet, somewhere deep in her chest, an absurd, almost shameful part of her-the part s

moment, then turned a

took a brief call, exchanged a few clipp

with

y walls, metal furniture-it looked like an interrogation ro

wall flickered to life-surveillance

it

ntion fixed on the darkened

t the table, watching her. "Two bulletproof windo

ertips w

ke entered, placing

ept his head lowered. "It was sent to the East Dock. Someon

aze darkene

of the city. The encryption matches the

Don't tip

dded and

he side, absorbi

ast Dock. Th

she connected the tw

led a transparent evidence bag from

trieved from the debris-it d

until Drake had left before picking up the evide

ved with a "D" rolled out onto the surf

allowed the gambling ship

n on her, so heavy she could barely bre

e in the tangled sheets, staring at the black diamond ri

ame rush

Dominic's voice shatte

instinctively hid her trembling hands beneath the

hing. He caught ev

ing slowly down the side of her face, fina

, to interrogate her until she cracked. He

silence, Dominic simply slipped the bla

dn't

imilar." Avery evaded

he

led. She kept them hidden beneath

gaze traveled from her face down to her con

the ring without

ttack-it w

snapped up.

es

stabbed at her throat like a splinter. "If he wan

gaze, not answe

em. She could hear the ticki

me to take over his work. He sent me here to treat you. And on the oth

do you

ose two actions don't

. His long fingers tapped a slow,

have you k

yea

hink you

didn't

her mentor, her guide. When she was at her lowest, he had given her a teaching

udden pang, that she truly

is. He was my doctor for many years. I trusted him. He knew m

pau

e had my ho

ngers gripped the edge of

for years suddenly tries to k

hy

inic's voice turned cold. "He's not

hy don'

ut her off. "He's dying anyw

roze. "

. Late stage. He d

llor, the trembling of his hands, his increasingly frequent absences-t

him alive to find o

es

htened. "Are you keeping me

d at her and

t least, he thinks he can control you. A

re using

as flat. "Just li

palms. Pain radiated from her hands

e medical records," she

stroyed in th

snapped u

burned." Dominic's voice betrayed no emotion. "The electronic bac

or any crack in his expression.

ic said. "And the records are with Wenger.

me to fi

es

an't even walk down the hallway alone. Now you want me

than intended. She could f

ression didn't change, but s

ave a bet

answer. S

afraid I won

. "You'll come back." His tone was ab

mething in Avery's chest-

t her clinic. He knew all her weaknesses, al

is dissection of her very soul-

om his pocket and tossed it

disappoint me." He turned

n lit up with a cascade of unread

, sent just tw

o the house. Dorot

heart stuttered, and the phone

nctively moved toward the door

"My daughter has been taken. If you stop me now and so

for a second. Then

, only two word

out of t

sat on the couch, standing up the moment s

your clinic, here to check on the chi

the rest. She kicked open

d have been sitting on th

froze on th

bbit plush that had been her daughter's companion for six year

uttered in the wind, its rus

. It's time for yo

ned rabbit blazed in Avery's vision-turned blood-r

n this room. Even if it meant offering herself

nded from out

ir. Come