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Back No Going Back: a Novel Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Part 1
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. Part 2
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. Part 3
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. Part 4
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. Part 5
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. Part 6
  67. 59
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. 69
  78. 70
  79. 71
  80. 72
  81. Acknowledgments
  82. About the Author
  83. Also by Sheena Kamal
  84. About the Publisher

“You were playing both sides again. You knew we were both looking for Dao and Three Phoenix but kept it from me. And him.”

“I never lied to you.”

“You weren’t honest, either.”

“Because he was a client. The reason Three Phoenix was on my radar at all is because of Lam.”

“I don’t like secrets.”

“Nora, this, whatever it is, is a suicide mission. You see that, right? You need to go to the police. I know you’ve had a bad history with the authorities. I know you don’t trust them, but goddamn it. Can’t you see this is bigger than that? Lam may say he has no one else, but he has money and power. He can get away with things you can’t. Don’t do this. Don’t work with him. I don’t trust him. Not with this.”

“I’m trying to find information to take to the police. They won’t believe me without evidence.”

He closes the door and stands in front of me.

“I have a friend in Homicide,” he says. “Let’s go to him. Dao put a hit on you in Detroit. Nate Marlowe was hurt, and that case got a lot of press. That Detroit detective, Sanchez, can vouch for you, that you’re in danger. Let’s try it that way. For once.”

“No.” I can’t explain my aversion to cops in terms he’ll understand. I won’t ever trust them. They don’t care about people like me, the ones who are not upstanding, the women who believe that someone is after them. What can the police do about Dao when they can’t even save women who know where to find their stalkers? “Lam has money and power. You said it yourself. He has what I don’t have. And he can get to Vidal.”

“Don’t get into bed with men like that.”

“I think we’re safe there,” I say, since I’m not planning to get in bed with any man in particular at the moment. I’m a little busy. “But I’ll work with him.”

He slumps against the doorframe. His desire to be a part of whatever is happening here with me is warring with his instincts, which are clearly telling him to run as far away from this as he can. I’m not surprised by what he says next. “Nora, I have a bad feeling about this whole thing.”

And there it is. His nerves. He’s at the end of his rope and is smart enough to know it.

“No one is forcing you to look into this with me. I think you should take a step back.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Yes,” I say, without hesitation.