g a bead of sweat from his temple with the back of his hand. "Client con

woman suddenly seemed to loom over the taller man, her

s on a government watchlist, a witness protection program, or is a member of organized crime, you

t attack. He opened his mouth to offer anot

ttle of the latch. The silence of the movement was deliberate, practic

-shirt and cargo pants. He stood with his weight evenly distributed, shoulders relaxed but ready, hands visible but positioned for rapid movement. It was the posture of

light. They were pale, piercing blue, like chips of arctic ice, and they held no

weight. He was cataloging her, evaluating her as a potential threat, calculating the fastest way to disable her if it became necessary. S

's fingers twitched toward her hip, an instinctive reach for a knife that wasn't there. She caught herself and stilled the movement, but the man's eyes fl

real estate agent. He gave Ben a look. It was a brief, almost imperceptible glance

and closed the door. The heavy wood clicked shut, leaving

Slowly, deliberately, she exhaled. The hallway was si

lood and violence. It was a scent she knew well, the scent of someone who had killed, and would kill again without hesitation. She

le would

nd looked at the situation with the brutal pragmatism that had kept her alive for ten years. That man-whoeve

aw an op

ould sense the danger and find easier targets. If someone came looking for trouble, they would find him before they found her. And by the time they got past him, if they got

ous. Let him be a killer. She had lived among killers befo

d him for a moment-the cheap suit, the nervous eyes, the way his hands trembled. A man

"Hiding a major security risk from a potential tenant. I'm sure y

ulders sagged. The fight drained out o

said without hesitation. "And you waive the security depo

the door of 2203, and the fear in his eyes warred with the greed for his commission. He did the math quickly-even at half

at the door to 2203, and the fear in his eyes warred with the greed for his com

the word tasting l

ings she was planning to do. She needed a contract that protected her, not the landlord. She drafted a new lease agreement on the spot, her fingers flying across the keyboard. The legalese came easily-she had spent years in

rity modifications and fortifications to the interior of the leased premises at her ow

ed like a college student-and her talk of fortifications and security risks. He decided she

t. Joanna transferred the full year'

leasure doing business with you,

ve. "I need a construction crew. One that's fast, di

t a crumpled business card. "My brother, Dave Sullivan. He does... specialized work.

and hard. "If your brother or his crew breathes a word of what they d

chill running down his spine. H

just done. She had a home. A fortress in progress. A dangerous neighbor who would, whether he knew it or not, serve as her first line of defense

l. And it was a

Specialized work. She had no choice but to trust him-or at least, to trus

and dialed the number

nswered. "Dave'

Apartment 2201 at The Magnolia Estates. I need you and your team here with measurin

grumble. "It's almost nine

aid in cash," J

stopped. "I'

parated her new home from apartment 2203. She pr

air conditioning cycled. The silence was absolute, unnatural-the kind of silence that required intent, that required soundproofing ma

m of a refrigerator. The silence was absolute, unnatural. It was the silen

tress within a fortress, and stared at stran

was even more interest