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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
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  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
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  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
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  64. 60
  65. 61
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  70. 66
  71. 67
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  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

“I’m a scientist, too. You have a better suggestion?” Turning on her heel, she headed for the chapel on deck two.

Liam joined her.

9

ELLE WOKE TO BRIGHT sunshine shining into the east-facing bedroom windows in Adam’s house. She didn’t remember much before she’d landed on the beach: nothing but cold saltwater, cold shrieking wind, cold brutal waves and cold dark panic.

But she remembered the last twenty-four hours perfectly.

Right now, she was alive and snuggled up to Adam Ramsdell’s back and glad to be there. He was strong and capable of protecting her, and he had helped her with a shower and slept all night with her without making any moves. She had somehow landed in the right place.

Now to find her way back to her old place, her other place. All she had to do was recover her memory, discover who had assaulted her and why, serve justice on that dark threat that made her want to curl up and hide and...

No. She would not curl up and hide. The nightmares would not overcome her, and the man who had killed her would pay for his crime. She would see to it. In the bright warmth of daylight, she believed anything was possible.

She had to pee, so she rolled onto her back. She planned to sit up, but holy hell, the mere act of rolling hurt. The side she rolled on, the back she rolled to, the ribs she breathed with, the hands she clenched against the pain, her head... She lifted one hand, a motion that made her wince and touched her forehead. “Wow,” she said out loud.

Adam sat up, turned to put his feet on the floor and looked at her. Either he had woken instantly or he’d been lying there awake, waiting for her to move.

“Something hit you hard,” he said. “You’ve got a knot that’s purple and a black eye that’s—”

“Black?”

He didn’t smile. His mouth did quirk. “Purple. Today you sound less—”

“Manic?”

“Scared.”

She noted he could be tactful. “I’m alive, and I slept well. Reasons for optimism.”

“Do you remember when I came to sleep with you?”

“I was having a nightmare.” She took a hard breath. Which hurt her ribs. “The man. He had me by the throat. I couldn’t scream.” The words made the nightmare real. Panic began to build in her veins.

Adam’s voice was calm, instructional. “You did scream. You screamed loudly. More than once. Scared the hell out of me, and I’m surprised the neighbors didn’t come to investigate.”

She squinted, reaching for yesterday’s memories. “When you brought me here, I wasn’t fully functioning, but I don’t remember neighbors.”

“I have neighbors. Just not close. Still, you were...vocal.”