E

as completely out of my mi

e moved-the keenly honed confidence of his stride, the darkness in his eye

much a gangster than as a lawyer. But this morning, all dressed in a sharp, black suit

ht in whatever whirlwind this man's life was. But then I reca

t I had n

mething smoky, something very him. The driver was unnervingly serene, one hand on the wheel, the other draped over the gear shif

him I was terrified

y his mask split-it made me understand that I had never really known him to begin with. And if he had been prete

der me if he

o breathe through the tightness in my chest. The city sped by, and I hardly s

hief. M

ve years of trust, love, and faith. And now I was

with agony. God,

held out the other one in my direction. His fingers were long, his hands callou

Blackwood," h

mth against my own. His hold was solid, not too tight, but firm

my voice sound steady.

constricted. No, no longer. Garrett's name was no lon

quickly and apologiz

unreadable. If he did think anyth

t the steering wheel. The tension between us was thick and oppressive befo

ur helmet before you l

ill trained forward, keen and calculating

h, Tessa," he told me. "Whe

l. There was something in the way he

p as my mind spun with questions. Who the hell was

in ribbons of gray and neon. It was foreign-so

hat I had actuall

I had been blind. Blind to the truth,

ess. Creeping, insidious, until I didn't know myself. Until I had come to believe

w much a fo

pidly as tears singed the outside of my eyes

re h

o reality. My heart lurched as I forced my eyes away fr

t cra

was

front of us, shiny-like th

to get my voice back. "How do yo

sly curve of his lip

my ho

walking over in that reckless ease that was both terrifying and intriguing all at once

eath

harming and with just the right amount of mystery. But Zane was different. G

ch step behind Zane was laborious,

I really going to sever the thread

ce but to follow. We were already inside, in front of a gleaming glass door with Garr

the world hadn't already embar

an

his chest as if she were the owner of the man. My step-sister. The wom

Garrett-sprang nearly a foot backward fro

ce wen

bled, his voice striking that shamed, nerv

e jammed a sheaf of pages into my hands-whitened,

trom of emotion bubbling within me. "I know it all. I know about the lies, the

pen and shut but I

t a di

so confidently, so authoritatively

er long hair over her shoulder. "Oh, pl

think twice, before I could stop myself, my

echoed in

side, her hand whipping to her

his kind of anger in a

ed, trembling from head to toe. "

t for a rescue, but he was still frozen on me-h

. "I know I screwed up, okay? But we can

papers,

ession h

N

d even process Garrett's indignation, the cold t

side me, his casual stance but menacing presence, a glin

dead in

the only thing heard was sole sound

ed convulsively. Amanda, however, emitted a high, terror-stricken shr

m, his voice unnervingly flat, lacking any emotion. "If you don't, I'm quite sure

an throug

he j