A'S

T INTRIGUE

she

laid eyes on her that s

on guard like she had a purpose. The kind of woman who knew how to disap

ed myself to flirt with her like I had all the time in the world, e

m, the façade, straight into the parts of me no one

lean

my firs

ough my fingers. But I didn't. I took her hand, I let her into my car, I

can't ge

h time her body arched into mine like she couldn't get close enough. It was h

ered to remember, faces that all blurred together, but Elena-she

took was

w she'

minute, I thought maybe I'd dreamt her, that she was just so

still lingered in the air-floral, with a trace of something darker beneath, some

rette between my fingers. I don't usually smoke in

ted a

-hand man appeared in the doorway, already knowi

id, as if that exp

onfused. "The gir

t who she is. Everything. Name, address, where she works, who she know

me well enough to understand-wh

" he said, disappe

istraction, a beautiful mistake, but something about her had burrow

cked under his arm. The look on his face to

e counter. "Elena Russo, works as a waitress at that little Italian place

ina

lsh

arpness in her eyes, the way her smile never quite reached her mouth

ng tonight

his phone. "Shou

off. "I'll han

-

rant was a

e eff

appear, but she never did. One of the older waitresses-Maria, I think her name

didn't s

e sidewalk, the cold air slicing through me despite the rising sun. My mood was shot, my patience

I expected her to be, tucked into a booth with her hair pulled into a loose bu

just stood the

e the siren who dragged me under last night, and more

mo

way, too lost in whatever thoughts were eating her alive. When she finally no

ce low, but in the q

ike she was afraid it might shat

did something to me, something

cidence it is." She sa

ows at her. "O

stands?" she asked instead of answering m

oodbye." I leaned forward, elbows on the

, her smile not quite reach

," I said. "I'm not

er breath caught in her