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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

The woman came alive in a way he could never have imagined. She grabbed his arm, squeezed it, looked at him with wide, terrified eyes. “No. No. I beg you, no. He’ll find me. He’ll kill me. He’s insane.”

“Who’ll find you?” Adam asked urgently.

“I don’t know.” She lifted a trembling hand to the bangs on her forehead. She pushed them aside, and he saw another bruise forming on her temple. “I don’t know who he is. I only know—” She stared into the air as if she could see something he could not. “He was big. Like a football player. He choked me. I wanted to scream and he—I hit him.”

“With something?” He couldn’t imagine her fists would have done a lot of good, not if the guy was as big as she said. “With what?”

She squinted. “A pole. It was shiny and slippery in my hand. And it...” She squeezed Adam’s arm again, harder. “I thought I hurt him. I was sure I... He came at me again. He was silhouetted against the light. I couldn’t hurt him. Couldn’t stop him. Nothing could hurt him.” Fiercely she turned on Adam. “You can’t let him have me.”

He believed she was frightened, but now he wasn’t so sure about her memory. Remembering just that much and no more, well—darned convenient. “I won’t let him have you, but you’re in bad shape. We need to have you checked out. Maybe if you had your memory...” He let that dangle.

“The doctors, the hospitals, they have to make records. He has power. He’ll find me. This time he’ll kill me.”

“Is he your husband?”

“No?” She thought. She shook her head definitely. “No. But he is...”

“Powerful, you said. Rich?” It sounded like someone from up the coast in Carmel.

“I don’t know. Yes, I think so. Please, I’m safe with you.”

“How do you know that?” God, he was cynical.

She looked at him, and the clouds lifted from her eyes leaving them clear and unafraid. “You brought me back.”

He didn’t see what that had to do with it. “I don’t keep women at my house.” Actually, he didn’t keep anyone at his house.

“Please let me stay here. I won’t tell anyone where I am.”

“You need medical attention for the beating the ocean gave you. The hypothermia.” The dying. “Not to mention you don’t know your own name. Possible concussion!”

“I’m Elle—” She froze, breathless.

He leaned forward. “Elle. That’s good.”

“There’s more.”

“Your last name. What’s your last name?”

“It’s not just Elle, it’s—” She tried to speak, to force words out of her mouth. She trembled with the effort.