LOGINElijah's POV The motel room smelled like bleach and cigarettes, and Elijah laid out his life on the bed in neat rows. Three passports. Two burner phones. A stack of cash bound in rubber bands, and a thin black laptop he opened with a single tap. "You're early," said the man standing in the doorwa
Kira's POV "Mrs. Westbrook, please have a seat." The DA's office smelled like old coffee and printer toner, nothing like the sleek conference rooms Kira was used to walking into. She sat across the desk from Assistant DA Patricia Lowe, Adrian's hand resting on the back of her chair, not touching her, just close. "Thank you for seeing me on short notice," Kira said. "Your message said it was urgent." Lowe folded her hands on the desk. "What can I do for you." Kira glanced at Adrian. He gave the smallest nod, the kind meant to say he was here no matter what came out of her mouth next, and she turned back to Lowe, forcing her spine straight. "I want to recant my statement. About the plate, about Lily's identification. I was wrong." Lowe didn't move, didn't blink, just studied Kira for a long quiet moment. "You were wrong," Lowe repeated. "Yes." "The plate you photographed yourself, the one your daughter identified from a clear photograph, the one that matched a rental
Kira's POV "I want every piece of evidence released back to my custody," Kira said into the phone, each word scraping her throat raw on the way out. "For destruction." Ressler's voice came back careful, measured. "Mrs. Westbrook, that's not something I can authorize over a phone call." "Then a
Kira’s POV The scream came from the living room first. Kira dropped the glass she’d been rinsing, the shatter against the tile barely registering, and ran. Elijah stood by the balcony door with one arm locked around Lily’s chest, a gun pressed flat against her temple, his jacket soaked through fr
Kira’s POV Three days passed without a single word from anyone. Kira sat on the hotel balcony with her coffee going cold in her hands, watching Lily and Ethan build a lopsided tower out of hotel notepads on the floor of the suite behind her, and for the first time in weeks the knot in her chest ha
Kira’s POV “Agent Ressler.” The man at the door flashed his badge, and behind him stood three more agents in dark jackets, already scanning the hotel hallway. “We’re ready to move on to the address Frank passed us.” Adrian stood beside Kira, arms crossed, jaw tight. “You found where he’s staying?”







