y slept

, every flicker of headlights in the street below, every c

st me in dan

father. And if he could be reached, fragile and be

man was wealthy, powerful, terrifying in his presence, but why would so

. Maybe the faceless man, the letters, the watching eye

ice whispered, Daniel

own, grabbed my bag, an

the door, curling at the corners. I rip

o quiet. A few of the volunteers were there, sorting su

ying to force my voice steady. "

e ans

ve into the mountain of unanswe

URGENT – Contr

lic

short, clinica

terminating our partnership

mstances, we will no longer be su

ier, the one that provided most of the ed

ce, three times, hoping the w

de for pressure. Someone had leaned on

tly whose shado

the thought. Pierce couldn't be tha

t those supplies, the after-school program would col

an

was low,

isp, tie loosened like he hadn't slept either. His prese

rrible," he

g from my chair. "Don't you dare w

eviction notice on the desk, th

en toward him. "R

he email. For a moment, something

ierce," he

now, this is you. Or your company. Or whoever yo

ce, quick and raw. "You real

e him. But the betrayal from years ago

what to think,

should've pushed him away. But if I listened to the pa

g at me like he could will the wall between us

in my throat, ready, like it didn't even need my permission. A

ked. "

mly. "I'll talk to them. Ne

ed me. "You think mo

etly. "But in this city, it f

very instinct screamed not to trust him. But another part

I say no?

" he said, voice sharp. "And I won'

snagged me

ll me the truth. Why did you leave me back th

ked. Silenc

as my

is. I can't keep letting you in

ing, ignoring the heat of his p

honking horns, shouting vendors, the buzz of lif

in my pocket.

t didn'

voice said, lo

e sidewalk. "

ackled, dis

ful when he sleeps. Be care

ll wen

ew people brushed past me, a

ther's death. My

t that they weren'

o the h

ay pale and weak in the bed, machines humming aroun

, clutching his hand. "Dad, I'm

ly, eyes flutter

e," I wh

rust..." His voice was a rasp,

n, and I was shoved aside as they ch

sentence. If I'd ever heard the

d out into the night

waiting b

rn between fu

u doing here

ing you,

o collapse into him. Instead,

eved it or not, the sto

an, Daniel or Pierce, was

my hand. A new message. No distortion this time. Ju

WRONG,