ra

ce Harrington was

terri

tering through the closed door of his study. He ate the meals Abigail prepared without a single c

nster from the first night had bee

book. He looked up when I entered, offered a small, polite smile, and returned

y," he said, hi

y," I replied, my g

ld take a break. Enjoy the estate. The

to believe in the good in people started to wonder. Maybe I had been too harsh. Maybe th

re had final

t believe it

of the third day. Her grey eyes were sharp with worry. "I've known that boy

hough my voice lacked conviction.

akes you trust him. He makes you let your guard dow

areful," I

n't caref

ce pressing against my eardrums. I kept replaying Abigail's warn

the hallway. I needed to check the security sys

, my bare feet silent on the cold marble. The house was

urity room and pu

tors wer

, my fingers flying across the keyboard. The screen flickered

IDE DETECTED

I whispered, m

t door, the cold night air biting at my skin. I sprinted down the

ere wi

black Musta

pping my robe around my legs. The note from the

olite smiles-it was all a distraction. He had used the three days to figur

aled his number. It rang thr

e came through the spea

demanded, my voic

he said

of your house arrest," I sai

ime they get back, I'll be long gon

game?" I shouted. "Yo

of the line. When he spoke again, his

t think it's funny. I

ary for

dn't

. Come back. Whatever you're doing, whatev

he said softly. "And you don't want to. Go

ne wen

ling around me, the gates yawning open like the

I saw something in the shadows. A pair of

oming up th

he windows tinted so dark I couldn't see inside. It pu

fr

late twenties, with a sharp, angular face and a thick silver chain around his neck. He had the loo

as smooth, but there was an edge t

, my hand instinctivel

m a friend of Jace's. An old frie

I said, my voice

smile. It was the smile of someone

efore he did something stupid." He paused, his eyes locking ont

said. "I

for a long moment. T

tell him Victor stopped by. Tell him

the SUV pulled away, dis

t pounding, the cold w

dangerous trouble. And the men he called friends were the kind of peo

pen gates, then b

is parents. I could report him

ld go af

s eyes. Maybe it was the strange, broken tone in Jace's voic

e, grabbed my keys,

him. And I was goi