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Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  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. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“What I remember is grasping that metal and knowing killing him was my only chance to survive. I remember thinking, I trusted him. At the time, I was grieved to know I had been so wrong.” Elle took a deep breath. “I’m furious that he was such a bastard. I don’t care what happened, how I came to be a victim. I did nothing to deserve dying in such a cruel way.”

As if in agreement, the breeze off the ocean ruffled the pages of the journal. The pen rolled off the porch railing. The wind picked up, and the journal rocked, then toppled into the rosemary hedge below the porch.

“Excuse me. I have to get that.” Elle jumped up.

“I can get it for you.” Adam felt as if today he needed to do something to help her, because he hadn’t been there in the past.

“No! Let me get it.” She pushed her way past him. “My brain is fine. There’s nothing wrong with me.” She headed for the stairs.

“Give her a moment, Adam,” Rune murmured.

Adam watched her take the first three steps at a run, as if she was trying to escape the last painful moments. As she took the last step, she caught her foot on something. On nothing. With flailing arms she fought to recover and failed. She fell hard, down the last step and flat onto the ground.

43

BEFORE ADAM COULD GET to her, Elle climbed to her feet swearing virulently. “That wasn’t my fault. I tell you, I tripped on something!”

She had grass stains on her knees, she wiped at her palms, and he was sure the fall had jarred her healing ribs. But she was moving fluidly; he judged she had not been badly hurt, so he turned to the steps and searched, doing first a visual, then running his hands along the edges of the boards.

She came closer. “What are you doing?”

His fingers encountered what he expected: he jerked the thumbtack free and held it up. “Looking for this.”

The thumbtack had been embedded into the side of the wooden step. Dental floss was wound around the pin. He felt sure he would find another tack on the other side of the step. With dental floss stretched between them, it formed an effective trip wire that snapped when activated and disappeared from sight.

Elle figured it out immediately. She stared in shock. “She... Tamalyn...”

Rune peered over the railing and saw what Adam held. “Oh, hell.”

The three adults gazed at each other in consternation.

“Now what?” Adam had seen Elle fall and caught a glimpse of the floss as it whipped around, but to find himself holding a homemade snare... He was a survivalist. He knew what to do in every imaginable situation. But not this one. Not in an attack by an angry adolescent.