LOGIN*Vivienne*The generator under the cabin porch cut out with a sharp, ugly whine.The lights inside the living room died instantly, plunging the entire house into pitch-black darkness.Dominic didn't say a word. In less than half a second, his broad arm swept around my waist, slamming my back flat against his chest as he pulled me down onto the floorboards behind the heavy sofa. His heavy handgun was out of his holster before my knees touched the rug."Dominic," I breathed, my heart jumping straight into my dry throat."Shh," he growled low against my ear, his breath hot, fast, and rough. "Don't move a muscle, Vivienne."In the kitchen, the soft rustle of Martha’s coat sounded in the dark. A quiet metallic *clack* signaled her shotgun slide moving into place. From the hallway, Marcus slid down against the wooden baseboard, his rifle ready.No one spoke. The cabin was deathly quiet.Outside the broken window frame, the mountain wind howled through the high pine trees, making the log wal
*Vivienne*The heavy black truck tore down the narrow dirt road toward the lake.The rain had stopped, but the tall pine trees were still dripping cold water onto the hood. Fog hung low over the mud tracks, heavy and thick.Dominic kept his left hand glued to the steering wheel. His right hand was locked tight around mine, his big fingers squeezing my palm hard every few seconds. He didn't say a word. His dark eyes kept jumping to the side mirror, watching the empty road behind us."Dominic," I said softly, my voice raspy. "There's no one behind us."Dominic didn't slow the truck down. His jaw remained set like concrete."I don't trust empty roads, Vivienne," he growled, his voice low and rough. "Not after Seattle.""Mercer is in federal hands," I reminded him, leaning my head against his broad shoulder. "Director Vance cleared the final ledger. It's completely done."Dominic pulled the truck hard to the right, taking the final steep curve toward the log house. He slammed his boot on
*Vivienne*The rain stopped just as we turned off the main highway onto the quiet mountain road.The heavy black truck climbed the winding path toward the lake. Fog hung low between the thick pine trees, but the air coming through the cracked window was clean and cold.Dominic drove with his left hand on the wheel. His right hand was locked around mine, his big fingers squeezing my palm every few minutes just to make sure I was still there beside him."You've been quiet for two hours, Vivienne," Dominic rasped, his low voice breaking the silence inside the truck cabin.I looked over at his side profile. The soot and dark blood were wiped from his face, but the deep exhaustion was written across his hard jaw."I'm just waiting," I whispered, leaning my head against his broad arm."Waiting for what?""For someone to shoot at us," I said, a tiny, tired smile touching my lips.Dominic didn't laugh. His grip on my hand tightened until it almost hurt. He pulled the truck over to the shoulde
*Vivienne*The heavy black truck tore through the rain-slicked streets of downtown Seattle.The morning fog hung low over the glass skyscrapers, hiding the tops of the buildings in a dense grey shroud. Tires shrieked against cold asphalt as Dominic threw the vehicle into a sharp turn, cutting off a yellow taxi before slamming his boot down on the gas pedal."Twenty minutes until noon," Marcus said from the back seat, his fingers tapping frantically on the glowing laptop screen. "The digital signal is coming straight from the executive board room on floor forty."Dominic didn't look back. His hands clamped around the leather steering wheel, his knuckles pure white, his hard jaw locked tight.His right hand shot out across the center console, finding my fingers in the dark truck cabin. He squeezed hard, his broad palm radiating a fierce, protective heat that grounded the wild panic in my chest."When we hit the lobby, you stay right on my left hip, Vivienne," Dominic rasped, his low voi
*Vivienne*The sun came up over the calm lake, casting bright golden light across the cabin porch.The federal trucks had left two hours ago. The tire tracks in the mud were drying out in the crisp morning air. The broken glass on the living room rug was swept up into a cardboard box near the front door.Everything looked quiet. Everything felt completely still.Dominic stood near the edge of the wooden porch, his dark boots resting right on the top step. His broad shoulders were still braced tight, his eyes scanning the pine trees across the lane. His hand was resting lightly on his leather belt near his sidearm.I walked out through the broken oak door, holding two warm metal mugs of black coffee. The steam rose up into the cold air."Dominic," I said softly, stepping up beside his broad frame.He didn't turn his head immediately. His dark eyes stayed fixed on the dark shadows under the high trees. But his left arm reached out instinctively, his broad palm catching my hip, pulling m
*Vivienne*The black federal SUV tore down the frozen highway at eighty miles an hour.Snow slammed against the windshield in heavy, blinding gusts. Outside, the dark Alaskan forest blurred past like a wall of black shadows. Inside, the heater roared, but the air was thick with the sharp smell of smoke, burnt oil, and leather.Dominic sat right beside me in the middle row. He hadn't unclasped his left hand from mine since we ran from the burning cabin. His knuckles were raw and scraped, covered in black soot, but his grip was warm and steady."How far to the runway?" Dominic asked, his voice low and gravelly.Director Vance sat in the front passenger seat, her head turned toward us. Her face was pale under the red dash lights."Three miles," Director Vance said, holding her tactical radio tight. "The cargo plane is on the tarmac with its engines running. My team in Anchorage set up a clean flight path straight across the Pacific.""Is Eleanor’s name on the hangar manifest?" I asked, m







