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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 strain she put on herself made him fear a stroke or seizure. “Come on.” He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Let’s get you in the shower.”

“Promise me you won’t turn me over to the authorities.” One tear rolled down her cheek. Then another.

He was such a sucker. “I won’t. But how do you know you can trust me?”

“You didn’t kill me when you found me.”

“You’ve got low standards.”

“No. But I am such a sucker.”

The echo of his own thought shook him. “Why do you say that?”

She touched her throat. “I let the wrong person get close to me.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re a sucker.” Or maybe it did. “What do you remember?”

“It’s like a series that reruns the same clip over and over.” She lifted one hand to rub her temple, then winced when she encountered a bruise. “It’s surreal. It was raining. Storming. The wind was shrieking in my ears.”

“Yes. You are remembering, because last night’s storm was violent.” Full of voices calling him to join them in hell.

“The storm didn’t matter. I was happy. Excited!”

For a moment, he thought she was going to say she was pregnant.

Instead, she said, “I had found it.” Tears filled her eyes, as if that last memory of joy could not erase what followed.

“Found...what?”

“I don’t know, but it was important, and he’d made it possible. I was almost hopping up and down in excitement. I told him, then I saw his face—”

Adam leaned forward. “You remember his face?”

“A broad face in shadow. A hulking silhouette. Broad shoulders, long arms and fists like an old boxer.”

“Skin? Black or white or brown or—”

“White.”

“Hair?”

“Brown? Dark and wet. Eyes that glinted in the darkness, like a jaguar on the prowl. Rain slapped my face. Lights swayed and swung.”

“Where were you?”

She frowned intently, looked around as if the answer was outside herself, then shook her head. “I don’t know.”

He thought she was tired of saying that. “Go on. Tell me what you do remember. Tell me about him.”

“He turned toward the light. I saw his expression, and I realized he was so angry. I was confused. Why would he be angry?” A tear slid down her cheek. “His big hands reached for me, but I didn’t move. Stupid, I know. But no one has ever hurt me.”

Adam noted that she knew that.