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Chapters (53)
  1. Dedication
  2. Chapter One
  3. Chapter Two
  4. Chapter Three
  5. Chapter Four
  6. Chapter Five
  7. Chapter Six
  8. Chapter Seven
  9. Chapter Eight
  10. Chapter Nine
  11. Chapter Ten
  12. Chapter Eleven
  13. Chapter Twelve
  14. Chapter Thirteen
  15. Chapter Fourteen
  16. Chapter Fifteen
  17. Chapter Sixteen
  18. Chapter Seventeen
  19. Chapter Eighteen
  20. Chapter Nineteen
  21. Chapter Twenty
  22. Chapter Twenty-One
  23. Chapter Twenty-Two
  24. Chapter Twenty-Three
  25. Chapter Twenty-Four
  26. Chapter Twenty-Five
  27. Chapter Twenty-Six
  28. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  29. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  30. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  31. Chapter Thirty
  32. Chapter Thirty-One
  33. Chapter Thirty-Two
  34. Chapter Thirty-Three
  35. Chapter Thirty-Four
  36. Chapter Thirty-Five
  37. Chapter Thirty-Six
  38. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  39. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  40. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  41. Chapter Forty
  42. Chapter Forty-One
  43. Chapter Forty-Two
  44. Chapter Forty-Three
  45. Chapter Forty-Four
  46. Chapter Forty-Five
  47. Chapter Forty-Six
  48. Chapter Forty-Seven
  49. Epilogue
  50. Preview of Malice
  51. Preview of Incognito
  52. Acknowledgments
  53. About the Author

Heading to the Zephyr, I shut myself inside a waiting car and pull the lever that begins the three-minute journey up the inside of the mountain. It takes forever. Minute two ticks on to eternity. Kyran went the long way, and I can still beat him, but if Garrett figured out the clue, I’m screwed.

The car slows, and I leap out, then race down the glass hallway, oblivious to the sun setting over the mountains, casting me in an amber glow. Reaching the door at the end of the passage, I burst inside, in time to see Garrett lift the globe over his head and smash it to the floor.

The room erupts in a blinding white light, and I throw my arms over my face, dropping to the ground and tucking into a ball to shield myself. From somewhere in the distance, dynamite explodes, signifying a victory. Slowly, the light fades until the globe radiates only a soft glow. Still on the floor, I uncurl myself but remain sitting, in shock.

I gave it my all, and I lost.

Garrett crosses the room, stopping in front of me and extending his hand.

I wiggle myself closer to the floor in refusal.

“Don’t pout, Ellie. We’ll both win the next one.” Grabbing my arm, he drags me to my feet.

“How are we going to do that?” I sputter, glaring up into those mesmerizing eyes.

He tightens his grip and smiles down at me. “Easy. You’re my prize.”

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

January 1, 20X6, Keystone

I leave the Quest after-party as soon as I get there. Wanting to get as far away from Garrett as possible, the second he lets go of my arm, I head to the Vault to journal. “You’re my prize.” Whatever. In case you’re wondering, Garrett, I’d rather spend the evening reliving my death than watching you and Chloe toast to your awesomeness.

I really wish he could hear me.

As much as I’d like to indulge in fantasizing about everything I could say to him, I get to work. Now that I’ve faced my demons and stopped blaming myself, journaling is getting easier, and I dive in.

February 19, 20X5

Truth: You can never account for chaos.

Deena’s seventeenth birthday was a tiki-themed gold mine for her. The big secret was in the specialty cocktail, the Virgin Gorda. It came in a coconut with a colorful paper umbrella and was anything but virgin, in keeping with Deena’s aspirations for the evening.

“You’re flawless,” I said, pinning a flower behind Deena’s right ear. With just the two of us getting ready in her hotel room, it was almost like old times. “Total goals.”

“Flawless isn’t good enough. This is my night. I need to outshine everyone.” She lowered her mini hula skirt so her hip bones jutted out above it. “Adam has high standards.”

My stomach constricted. “Don’t you mean Jax?”