Chapters (97)
- Cover
- Back Cover Text
- Praise
- Booklist
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Eighty-Six
- Eighty-Seven
- Eighty-Eight
- Eighty-Nine
- Acknowledgments & A Personal Note
- Excerpt
“You have your aunt and uncle, who love you and want to help you,” Cullen said.
“I’m not me,” Torrie said.
Cullen looked at Bryce with a question on his face.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not me anymore.”
Torrie’s right arm shot straight back high into the air, gripping the paper she’d been working on, holding it out for Cullen.
He took the sheet, concern webbing across his face.
The pencil sketch showed the furious expression of a girl, her long black hair shooting out wildly in Medusa strands, her eyes narrowed, her mouth scowling with demonic rage.
Torrie then turned, keeping her head bent down low to her chest, her hair curtained over her face. She lifted her eyes, the whites glaring at the two officers as she spoke through gritted teeth.
“Tell me who you think killed my family!”
Twenty-One
Santa Ana, Orange County, California
Present day
Marisa Joyce Narmore’s green Ford Focus was parked in front of her town house and reflected in the driver’s side mirror of Emma’s SUV.
Emma had been watching it from the end of the block where she was parked in the opposite direction. She’d angled her mirror to capture Marisa’s front door, too, thankful to find the Ford there when she’d arrived nearly an hour ago.
She’d been watching and waiting.
It had been a couple of days since her first attempt to confront Marisa but she wouldn’t give up.
I’m going to find out who she is and why she’s threatening me.
Emma had told Ben and Kayla that she had meetings after school then had a few errands, that she didn’t know how late she’d be and for them to go ahead and have supper without her. Before leaving her school for her mission to Santa Ana, Emma visited the drama department to get something she’d need. Given her previous encounter with the gun-holding creep at the door and the dog, she was uncertain what she would face a second time.
She wanted to be ready.
Emma accepted that her plan wasn’t the best strategy; that she was taking a risk. Her life with Ben and Kayla was at stake and she could feel time ticking down on her to do something.
A slight movement in the side mirror.
This could be it.
The front door of Marisa’s town house had opened and a woman stepped out with something in her hand. When she got to the sidewalk, Emma saw her dog on the leash: a beagle. They started walking.
She’s alone—good. Coming this way across the street. I’ve got to do this now. I might not get a second chance.