ache-a silent protest after twelve straight

ick with the smells of roast chicken, canned mushroom g

peccably pressed but faded from too many

yes, but she forced a smile and gestured for a teena

tly slipping her a small plate with a piece of chocolate cake. "

reached her dark eyes, erasing the exhau

artha. You're

la

breathing each morning when the weight

aff break room at the end of a dim hallway connectin

into its usual arithmetic-a f

air before winter set in. With any luck, there would be enough left over to buy Mila that professional colored penci

yea

ainst the familiar knot

a young, naive intern in New York, full of dreams and corporate ambition,

scolded herself, the thought

lai was like opening a door to an abyss o

the way his large hands had touched her as if she were the most

swered. The panic at the sight of

with a viper's voice-tear her apart. "Mr. Volkov has no interest in your pathetic attempt at extortion, Miss Moore. He has no shortage of women like yo

ienna

legal enforcers, she had emptied her small savings acc

, "Mila's mom." She had built an unbr

ak room, she pushed the

at Martha-" The word

covered with crayons, but th

lt of alarm shot

ly curious and bold. Sometimes, the rule "don't leave

set the plate down and stepped back into the

had see

drenaline through her veins. She quickened her pace, her lo

the bathroom. Yes,

er had left on a side table and headed toward th

drew closer, she heard her daugh

areful, Mr. Giant. Yo

her to hear that she was safe, though she was

h a mix of fear and exasperation. "For God's sake, Mil

ovel if that was what it took to keep her job. But then her eyes lif

sto

allway, as if a hatch had been

It hit the wooden floor with a crash that echoed lik

an

breathe. Her knees

e he

ai Vo

m from her nightma

rmor, and his posture radiated such absolute authorit

e carved more sharply, stripped of any trace of the softness sh

staring rig

she saw every morning in her own d

of the puzzle snapping together in his lethal mind. She saw his gaze drop to Mila, then

cold, calc

by five years of fear, seiz

that spoke her name like a curse, a sound that felt

er. She couldn't f

e put herself between Nikolai and her daughter. She bent in a fluid motion, sc

the little girl complained, co

locked on Nikolai. It was like staring

hreatened to destroy her, was now three feet away, his gaze bu

er. Don't you dare!"

d to gasp, her voice trembling

ch for them with one of those large hands. She spun on her heel, clutch

e kitchen's swinging door with her back, bursting through and

s going on?" s

rear emergency exit and stumbled out into the night. T

lipping, nearly sending her sprawling. But the fear of what wa

c. Her hands trembled so violently she

msy but swift hands, and buckled the harness, ignoring the girl's protes

t the

ic

ine coughed, then sputtered

ose gravel before catching, and the car shot out

st her ribs, Sienna risked a g

he thought she saw a tall, dark figure emerge from the back doo

ed from her eyes, b

wheel with white-knuckled hands, Sienna knew a terrifying and a

of the world, but the ghost

he wasn't going

had jus