LOGINThe Adrenaline Crash~Alexander's POV~I lie perfectly still on my side of the bed, my back turned to Lea, staring into the dark.I listen to the beat of her breathing. I wait until it finally deepens and evens out, signaling that she has fallen into a restless, alcohol-induced sleep.The second I am sure she is out, I silently slide out from under the silk sheets.My bare feet make no sound against the hardwood floor as I step into the hallway. I am wearing nothing but a pair of gray sleep pants and a dark t-shirt I threw on after the shower. My hair is still wet, dripping cold water down the back of my neck. I walk straight down the hall to my study, locking the door behind me.I walk over to my desk, pull my encrypted burner phone from the locked drawer, and dial Collins Reid."Alexander," Collins answers on the first ring. He doesn't sound calm. He sounds scared and out of breath."Have you figured out what Tara is planning?" I demand, pouring myself a glass of scotch in the dar
The Loose End~Lea's POV~The bathroom door is shut, but I can hear the strong sound of the shower running.I sit on the edge of the big, special bed, looking at my nicely done nails. Alexander has been in the shower for twenty minutes.He barely spoke a word to me when he came to bed.The gap between us is getting wider, and trying to act like everything is okay is wearing me down. It's starting to drive me a little crazy.A loud buzzing noise shakes my bedside table. I jump, my heart leaping into my throat.It's the secret phone hidden in the drawer. Only one person knows this number.I pull the drawer open, snatch the phone, and accept the call."Where the hell have you been?!" I hiss, keeping my voice to a disturbed whisper, my eyes glancing toward the bathroom door. "You missed three radio checks yesterday! I have been terrified that Alexander—""Shut your mouth, you stupid, arrogant bitch."The voice on the other end stops the breath in my lungs.It's Victor. But he doesn't so
The Ghost in the Wind~Tara's POV~The burner phone vibrates under my bed at 3:17 AM.I bolt upright in the dark, my heart slamming against my ribs. I pull the phone out, the harsh backlight blinding my sleep-deprived eyes. It's Daniel."Is it done?" I whisper into the receiver, my voice shaking with tiredness and expectation. "Is he in federal custody?""Tara," Daniel says. His voice is tight, breathless, and laced with absolute panic. "He's gone."The air leaves my lungs. The dark walls of my basement cell feel like they are shrinking inward."What do you mean, he's gone?" I choke out. "James had a gun to his head!""He had a hidden blade in his boot," Daniel explains, the panic clear over the line. "When James was transferring him from the service elevator to the extraction car, Victor cut the zip-ties. He overpowered James. He got away, Tara. He ghosted into the city. I'm so sorry."A wave of pure, freezing fear washes over my entire body."Tara, listen to me," Daniel urges. "We
Daniel's Patience~Daniel's POV~I have been in love with Tara Smith since we were fifteen years old.It is a pathetic, tolerating truth. When my family moved away sophomore year, I tried to forget her. I went to college. I dated other women. I built a private investigation firm from the ground up and convinced myself that the bright, smiling girl with the hazel eyes was just a childhood crush. A ghost from a simpler time.Then, she called my office from a payphone, and my heart literally stopped beating.She was alive. She had been suffering in ways I couldn't even stomach, and she needed my help.I told myself I would just be a professional. I would hack the accounts, trace the money, and be the shield she needed to survive. I promised myself I would keep my feelings completely separate.But watching her now—brilliant, fierce, and completely consumed by a cold, reasoning need for revenge—I am hopelessly lost all over again.The problem is, she doesn't see me. Not really. She
The Missing Dog~Tara's POV~I walk down the grand staircase, the door of the bridal suite locked safely behind me with James and a bound Victor inside.I reach the marble floor of the foyer. The reception is in full swing behind doors.Before my hand can even touch the brass handle to re-enter the party, hurried footsteps echo down the corridor.Alexander is practically running toward me from the direction of his study. He isn't wearing his tuxedo jacket. His bowtie is ripped loose, hanging around his neck. His face is pale, his chest heaving, and his blue eyes are wide with pure, unfiltered terror. He expected to find my dead body. He expected to see Victor standing over me.Instead, he skids to a halt, staring at me perfectly unharmed in my gray uniform.Alexander doesn't say a word. He doesn't ask what happened.He lunges forward and crushes me against his chest. His arms wrap around me like steel bands, pulling me so tight the air leaves my lungs. He buries his face in the croo
The Confession~Tara's POV~"The last time anyone saw Victor," Alice says, her eyes narrowing into cold, deadly slits, "he was walking right behind you."I look down at the crystal glass in the sink, forcing my hands to tremble just a bit. I let my shoulders slump, dropping perfectly back into the role of the broken, foggy maid."He... he was," I stammer, my voice hesitating with fake fear. "He followed me into the hallway. He yelled at me for walking too slowly. He said I was in the way of the photographers.""And then?" Alice snaps, stepping closer."And then he told me to get out of his sight," I whisper, looking up at her with wide, terrified eyes. "He walked toward the service exit. I swear, Alice. I came straight back here. Did... did I do something wrong?"Alice stares at me, searching my face for a lie. But my disguise is flawless. I am a masterclass in submission."Useless," Alice mutters, rolling her eyes in disgust. She turns away, pulling a small radio from her belt. "Peri
The ghost Vows~Tara's POV~The Jackson estate doesn't look like a home today. It looks like a crime scene covered in fifty thousand dollars' worth of white orchids.I am standing in the back of the grand hall, wearing a stiff, high-collared gray uniform Alice forced me into this morning to hide th
The Hollow Crown~Lea's POV~The doors of the master bedroom click shut, sealing me inside a quiet, suffocating luxury.I stand in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling mirror, staring at the woman looking back at me. I am draped in a custom Vera Wang gown that costs more than most people make in a
The Caged Dog~Tara's POV~Clack.The deadbolt engages on the inside of the bridal suite door."Drop it," James growls from the shadows of the walk-in closet, cocking the hammer of his matte-black Glock. "Or I blow your brains all over this expensive wallpaper."Victor freezes. The color drains co
THE CRASHTARA’S POVThe world turned upside down. The sound of the metal shrieking in the background and the cabin lights flickering made the atmosphere even more terrifying. As seconds passed by, the plane lurched down. My fingers dug into the armrest, uttering a silent prayer as the storm swallo







