la Leo

the house. Staying here woul

iends, no welcome, just tension thick enough t

y café paychecks and the little savings I'd scraped together

the worn-out bed and

he ones I'd never had the courage to delet

nger. Maybe I would

ld give me closure. But al

. Maybe I shouldn't

zzed. An unk

it until it s

t buzze

t this

The funeral is at n

Only one person spoke to me lik

opher D

one on the bed an

en me in year

I couldn't go

, I'd see

know if I

had no

-

ray, matching the mood in the air. Most of the men standing there were f

used to hide his gun, the secret compartment behind the bookshel

minded me. Of how feared he

essed in black. Faces pale. Eyes h

.. mine wa

s throwing herself around, screa

ll knew t

g about he

happiest woman alive that Steven D

rs. He began the prayer, his tone heavy a

tepped forward-the

stful of dirt, and tos

d. Calm. Controlled. Like nothing co

t was m

gers trembling, but I m

. he was a protector. My anchor. The man who made me feel safe when the whole world was chao

wn, blinking away the tears. My heart cle

handkerchief. "Steven... my love, my life, my everythin

ha

the disgust crawl up my throat. Was she

o lower. One by one, people

g down my cheeks as they buri

arted to fade away. O

leave, of course. Probably h

rd was almos

hed against my skin

t was

was

, my voice barely rising above t

here h

opher D

t me like I was some puzzle he could

d. I swallowed har

ldn't f

for

t a

Isabella. Con

s... they b

their way

n the sk

tless. Like the heavens could

. I just stood there.

lt somethin

umbr

ooke

was

isto

ght, his expression unreadable.

oice low and cold, before walking off in

eart

ured to myself. "What

, past my skin, right down to my bones. Still, I d

even's grave behind. The wind bit at my face

to the seat, shivering. My mind replayed the look in Christopher's ey

in front of my hotel, but

lace," I said, sitting

ned around slow

Wh

Ou

ed the door. The moment I st

reaching for the necklace Steven gave m

go o

my coat. The other punched me in

you make it wor

eft. But one of them hesitated, looking at

ket. Maybe she'

s hand away.

he knife flash

through my side, ju

gas

harp-hot and co

y side, warm blood already mixing with

ey

ws disappeared into t

Ah

my throat as my kn

orld t

sion b

ely feel the

losin

sinking in

ought that echoe

s how i