Mill

times in the hour after I

e vibrating against my thigh like a trapped insec

We need

're being i

ck up the

Ben asked, glancing at me wit

ng over the screen. "I want th

grocery lists, flight details, the occasional, obligatory 'h

Block C

his Instagram, his LinkedIn. I er

le

dest sound I h

" Ben aske

"I have a flight to A

d, merging onto the

Texas. He'll never

an wasn

I'd rented under my maiden name-Ethan was already there. He was pacing i

panic spiking in my

Ben said, instinc

us, banging his fist on the passenger wi

he shouted. "Ava!

ndow an inch. "Go aw

handle, trying to wrench it open against the lock. "You can

voice trembling but hard. "I

is eyes. "Ava, please. I... I can't do this without you. I'm sorry about

tightened. He looked like the man I had f

supplements. The check on the

" I said, my voice cold. "You'

pressing his palms against the glass.

y kidney,

is eyes wid

So unless you can give me a guarantee tha

ped. "I... it wasn't steal

bye,

I to

mirror, a small, pathetic figure on the sidew

the gate, waiting to board. My l

. It was an ano

Attac

al report. A pathology repo

Procedure: Renal Trans

e was t

ed through the f

text came thr

. Ethan didn't just plan to take the kidney. He forged y

clattering to the floo

I whis

toward the exit. I couldn't be tr

r. A black SUV pulled up sharply, blo

as E

voice wasn't pleading a

I back

seat. I recognized them. His privat

ut. He had followed me. He parked his car

n," Ethan warned, not

ted, causing people on the sidewalk to st

cade cracking. "Chloe is dying! Ava is the

wes me

echoed i

epped out. She didn't look like she was dying.

ator's smile. "Thank you for the donation, Ava. Though, honestly, I deser

tilted o

lutching my chest. "

run cold. "Oh, I was sick. But not *that* sick. We just

reamed at Ethan. "Y

I still had my kidney. The surge

e car. He walked toward me, closing the d

hloe sneered at me. "Ethan needs a

my veins. I couldn't breathe.

you!" I screamed.

suits. They saw the expensive car. It was a domestic

digging into my flesh. "Stop makin

here was no love there. N

uggling. My b

" I wh

is grip slightl

r Ethan's shoulder.

un

s hard as I could on Ethan's fo

safety. I ran straight into the movin

d. A horn blar

ing was better than