pte

an'

distance I'm ready to

s a few steps away, her green eyes burning and her hands curled into fists at her sides. She seemed like a force to

get to shut me out of this," I shot back. "Amelia

he fragility she was so anxious to suppress. Ethan, you are not able to

ward. Though the irritation still flared in my breast, my

you would have behaved otherwise. You were too busy

rip us. Not immediately. Not when each second

seek. Share with me all of the blame. We have time for nothing but this

aid I have something." But I have no ide

off as I got closer. We will sort things ou

tight air between us. "Trust you." Follow

great, the clock running down on whatever sick game these folks were engaged in. Though I wanted to reach

picture from the movie frozen on the screen. My hands tightened

these folks are, they believe you have something worthwhile. Something worth bringing a youngs

answered at last, her voice almost above a whisper: "I don't know." "I h

of the circumstances down on her. Though the fact was I didn't know if we coul

re pointed than I had meant. "The ones you hav

entment. "You believe I had not previously gone over them a hundred t

and and yell

phone as her jaw tightened. "

e something you missed will stand out to me." Te

so momentarily I feared she might reject me. My gaze went over t

wat

ow our

types of messages without considering what the

sing her arms. They seem to be

added, frowning as a notion occurred to me. "And regardi

I'm not clear. Maybe? Recently I have worked with som

cutting edge. We are lacking some

. Seeing that set something in me-a great anguish I could not ignore no matter how har

nd but tinged with mistrust: "Why are you

words flowing out before I could stop

her eyes looking for something. Apologetics? Accuracy I w

the mom

vy footsteps. Panic widened Olivia's eyes, so I grabbed her arm and dra

ring, she said,

anded, my voice devoid o

of them lifted a rifle, and I immediately acted without thinking. The

I lunged toward the secon

and ran for the rear door. Driven by adrenaline, I battled the

a scr

hird man I had not even noticed dragging her out the rear door. T

med, my voice unva

had va

ed for a moment-the room, the broken glass on the floor, the man groaning beneath my con

h such force that shook the framed pictures hanging close by. H

gh to pierce across steel. My hand twisted in his shirt,

in spite of the blood running out of hi

ved him harder against the wall. I hissed, "wrong

sant. "Exactly who you are, Sinclair, we kn

en hiding? Though there was little time to linger on

a whip. "Is this money?" Influence? Tell me, and

has nothing to do with money. It's concerni

lt down my arm. Groaning, he slumped against the wall, but I was not done. "You're go

en a loud beep cut off me. On the screen a fresh messa

ts. nighttime. On your own. S

e my mind flew. nighttime. At the docks. And

volved from benign to nasty. tick-tock, Sincl

in my chest tightened. Time was running out and I knew noth