LOGINLUNA SIX YEARS LATER I'm twelve now, which means I'm old enough to know that hiding behind the kitchen doorway to spy on my parents is definitely immature. I do it anyway. Dad is in the hallway trying to fix his tie in the mirror, muttering under his breath. He's wearing the navy suit—the one Mom says makes his eyes look more gray than green. His hair is getting a little long, curling slightly at the ends the way it does when he's overdue for a haircut. "Darius, are you ready?" Mom calls from their bedroom. "We're going to be late." "One second. This damn tie—" "Language," I mouth silently from my hiding spot, grinning. Then Mom emerges from the bedroom and everything stops. She's wearing a red dress that hugs her in all the right places and flows when she moves. Her hair is down in soft waves, the way Dad likes it. Ther
SERAWhen spring comes, it's almost a relief. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom when Johnson and Alexis get married, petals drifting through the air like snow. They've chosen an outdoor venue—a garden estate with manicured lawns and a gazebo wrapped in white flowers.I stand on Johnson's side during the ceremony, wearing a deep blue dress that Cathy helped me pick out. It has long sleeves and a modest neckline, carefully chosen to hide the scars still healing on my arms and shoulder. Some of the burns will fade with time. Others won't. I'm learning to be okay with that.Johnson looks nervous in his tuxedo, fidgeting with his cufflinks while the string quartet plays. I reach over and still his hands."You're going to be fine," I whisper."What if I mess up the vows?""Then you'll mess up the vows and she'll love you anyway."He laughs, some of the tension leaving his should
DARIUSThe courthouse where Vivienne's trial is being held is packed.Media crews line the steps outside, cameras ready to catch every moment. Inside, the gallery is full of people I recognize, Sera's friends, my mother, Monica and Steve, even some of Vivienne's former colleagues who've come to watch her fall.I sit in the front row with Davies beside me, my hands clenched on my knees. Sera wanted to come but her doctor said no, still recovering, still dealing with nightmares that wake her screaming. Luna definitely couldn't be here. Some things a six-year-old should never have to see.So it's just me. Watching. Waiting.The bailiff calls for everyone to rise as the judge enters. The Judge, stern-faced and known for harsh sentences. I allow myself a moment of hope that Vivienne will get what she deserves.They bring her in through the side door.She's thinner than the last time I saw her three weeks ago. They've given her clothes instead of the orange jumpsuit, a simple gray dress tha
DARIUSThe courthouse where Vivienne's trial is being held is packed.Media crews line the steps outside, cameras ready to catch every moment. Inside, the gallery is full of people I recognize, Sera's friends, my mother, Monica and Steve, even some of Vivienne's former colleagues who've come to watch her fall.I sit in the front row with Davies beside me, my hands clenched on my knees. Sera wanted to come but her doctor said no, still recovering, still dealing with nightmares that wake her screaming. Luna definitely couldn't be here. Some things a six-year-old should never have to see.So it's just me. Watching. Waiting.The bailiff calls for everyone to rise as the judge enters. The Judge, stern-faced and known for harsh sentences. I allow myself a moment of hope that Vivienne will get what she deserves.They bring her in through the side door.She's thinner than the last time I saw her three weeks ago. They've given her clothes instead of the orange jumpsuit, a simple gray dress tha
SERAPain wakes me.Dull, throbbing, everywhere pain that radiates through my entire body with every breath.I try to open my eyes but my lids feel heavy, glued shut. It takes three attempts before they flutter open.White ceiling. Fluorescent lights. The steady beep of a heart monitor.Hospital.My throat is dry, tongue thick. I try to swallow and it hurts. Try to move and every muscle screams in protest."Sera."The voice comes from my right. Rough. Broken.I turn my head...slowly, so slowly because moving makes everything worse...and find Darius sitting in a chair pulled close to the bed.He looks terrible. Unshaven, hair disheveled, clothes rumpled like he's been wearing them for days. Dark circles under his eyes so deep they look like bruises. His hand is wrapped around mine, his grip careful, like I'm something fragile that might break.When our eyes meet, his face crumples."Oh thank god." The words come out choked. "Thank god, you're awake."He stands and leans over the bed, p
DARIUSI haven't slept in seventy-two hours.Every time I close my eyes, I see that video. Luna's terrified face. Sera's empty car abandoned at the park. The way she just disappeared without telling anyone where she was going.My office has become command central. Kane and his team have taken over the conference room. Maps spread across every surface. Phones ringing constantly. Police detectives coming and going with updates that lead nowhere.Until now."Darius." Marcus bursts through the door at 3 AM on day three. "We got her."I'm on my feet before he finishes the sentence. "Where?""Lucas. Investigators traced calls from his prison phone to a burner registered to an address in Queens. Warehouse district." He's already pulling up a map on his tablet. "Police are getting a warrant now. Moving in within the hour.""I'm coming.""They won't let civilians—""I don't give a fuck what they'll let. That's my daughter and the woman I love. I'm going."We take my car. Kane drives while I si
SERAThe next morning, I woke up with a plan forming in my mind. Luna loved music, just like I did. Maybe that could be the bridge between us, the way back to each other.I left early, before Luna woke up, leaving a note for Darius that I'd be back in a few hours. The downtown area was quiet at thi
CATHYMy hands was still trembling as I gripped the steering wheel.The burning on my cheek wouldn't go away. I kept touching it, my fingers brushing against the tender skin, half-expecting it to be some kind of nightmare that would dissolve if I touched it enough times. But it was real. The sting
SERA"Let's talk about us. About how I want things to be okay between us again and maybe..." His green orbs darkened, "Better.""Darius—""Don't shut me out, Sera. Please." His lips brushed against my jaw, making me shiver. "I know I've hurt you. But I want to fix this. I want to fix us."Mary's wo
DARIUSThe weather was dreary, and a part of me wondered if that was why I had an incessant headache that just wouldn't stop. I shut down my laptop and set down my reading glasses, leaning back against my chair as I let out a heavy sigh. Sera. She was all I could see when I closed my eyes. I wan







