train hissed to a stop at

d two miles down the pitch-black coastal road. The ocean

essed her thumb to the biometric scanner. The lock

be asleep by now. The massive estate was us

rst floor was pitch black. The heavy stench

ensing. She dragged her hand along th

echoed from the center of the dark room, fol

e darkness, guided only by the pale moonlight

tipped over on the Persian rug, its

ed on the floor amidst

His chest heaved violently, like

iquid was dripping steadily from his palm onto

status as an employee. She rus

his head around. His eyes were lethal,

, his voice raw and d

a second. But looking at the blood pooling around h

ked straight to the wall and hit

had shattered. It was a silver picture frame. Inside was a

e floor, trying to push his upper body up, but his paralyzed legs re

he saw her own desperate, cornered re

oring the glass crunching under her

ently yank his arm a

d was simple. It just needed to be cleaned and dressed. The thought gave her a sliver of control in a world that had spun out of it. She

embling around him. No one had ever sp

hed into the bottom drawer of the end table and

ticulously pulled a jagged shard of glass fr

her pale, freezing cheeks. The violent storm rag

detergent on her clothes. It wasn't

tly in white gauze. She tie

eir eyes locked in