LOGINCATHERINE Ice flooded my veins. My mind snapped back to the safe house. Bile crawled up my throat at the slow, horrifying realization that it wasn’t a coincidence.“He let me go,” I whispered.Marcus turned sharply. “What?”“He let me go,” I repeated, even as dread coiled tighter inside me. “The driver… he knew who I was. He had my picture. He said he was taking me home.”Solomon’s eyes darkened.“Not home,” he said.Understanding slammed into me like a truck.“No,” I breathed.“Here.”Sherry looked between us, panic starting to creep into her expression. “Miss Catherine?”But no one answered. This wasn’t just a game to T. This was control. Every move. Every step. Every decision. Mine. Ronald’s. Even the police. All of it… exactly where he wanted us. And we had just walked right into it.My chest tightened as I slowly lifted my gaze to Solomon.“He’s not hiding,” I said quietly.Solomon’s expression hardened.“No,” Marcus agreed.I swallowed.“He’s leading you.”For a moment no one s
CATHERINEThe chatter in the precinct was dulled by the steady rush of blood in my ears. My grip on the disposable cup tightened when an officer brushed past me, disappearing down the hall. I was anxious. My pulse wouldn’t stop raging. I downed the water in a single gulp, tossing the plastic aside. Marcus and Detective Solomon were still inside his office, going over everything. Or at least trying to. Marcus had asked where the hell I’d gotten that load of information about Zavier. Ronald sure as hell didn’t tell me. I wasn’t going to let Marcus worry over mundane details. All we needed to do was focus on bringing this nightmare to an end.The buzz of my phone in my right pocket vibrated throughout my body, snapping me out of my spiral.I picked immediately.“Cath,” Stacey breathed.My throat tightened.“How was it?” She continued, worry coating her words. “Marcus told me you had to see Ellie for a while. Is she okay?”The lie tasted bitter even before I spoke . “Yeah.” I said, for
CATHERINEThe image hadn’t left my mind.It was still grainy, distorted, the security footage blurring some parts but it was there.A younger Ronald, standing over an older man with a gun pointed at him. I didn’t look away when the shots rang out, or when the man’s body dropped to the ground. I couldn’t. And now I wished I did.T’s voice was stuck in my head too.Ronald killed his own father. He’s a monster that needs to be stopped.That was before I knew any better. I couldn’t believe I actually fell into T’s poisoned words.A hand gripped my shoulder.I flinched, snapping out of the haze. I blinked, Solomon’s office slowly came back into focus. His gaze was sharp on me, eyes narrowing slightly.Marcus shifted slightly, glancing sideways, silently asking if I was okay. My lips flattened as I nodded once before turning my attention back to Solomon.“That’s a bit vague, detective.” I said despite the way my heart hammered in my chest. “Care to shed some light on that?”The detective d
CATHERINE The creak of my front door was the only sound that cut through the quiet air. For a moment I just stood there, soaked from the rain, my mind still spinning from the realization that I had nearly gotten myself kidnapped by one of T’s men.Then the hallway lights flickered on and Marcus burst into the living room like a storm. His eyes landed on me, then widened.My heart skipped a beat.His eyes narrowed on me, worry and rage taking turns. They narrowed on me, like he was trying to convince himself that I was really the one. Then, his shoulders fell as he exhaled a sigh of relief.But he caught himself, remembering he was supposed to be mad at me and straightened, crossing his arms over his chest.“Where the hell were you?” His voice echoed in the quiet room.A deep frown creased his face as he took a step forward.“Actually scratch that,” he muttered. “What were you thinking when you ran away from the cops with a wanted man?”I forced a slow breath through my nose, exhaust
CATHERINE I curled myself into the couch, trying to ignore the sound of water, dripping somewhere in this metal box Ronald had locked me in.Drip. Drip. Drip.The sound echoed off the walls like a ticking clock.There was nothing to distract me. No television, radio, even my phone had been taken and crushed by Ronald. He was convinced that T could track us. Something told me that he would do it anyway. T had his ways and I felt like a sitting duck, waiting for disaster to strike.Where was Ronald?What was happening out there?It had been four days since he stormed out after my confession.Was he actually searching for answers or did he go off the rails?I shook my head, rising.“Ronald isn’t like that.” I muttered to myself. “He’ll do what he has to. It’s fine. Everything is fine.”But no matter how much I said it, the pit in my stomach only deepened. Two more days passed and by then I’d studied every crack in the ceiling, every loose floorboard, even that damn leaking in the fau
RONALD“He’s someone from my past.” I stated plainly. “From deep into my past.”Mason stared at me from across his couch, his cautious gaze scanning my face for something before he blew out a low breath.He leaned into the couch, “You have a long list of enemies. Ronald. That doesn’t really narrow it down.”My jaw tightened until it ached.When I said nothing, Mason continued, his eyes narrowing. “The entire police department is looking for you. Last thing you need is to end up in jail for bogus charges.”A knowing look flashed across his face. “Be careful. Your little lady doesn’t need to be planning for a funeral anytime soon.”A sharp pain pierced through my chest before I could even think. My spine straightened but I kept my face blank.Mason's eyes squinted, suspicion swirling in them before he forced the thought away.“The detective is convinced I’m responsible for that bombing.” I said, cutting through the silence.Mason rolled his eyes, “Wonder where he got that idea from.”“T
CATHERINE The principal’s office was the last place I wanted to be on a work day. It always had this weird smell of old chalk that made anxiety crawl up my spine. I sat on the edge of the chair, my hands in my laps even as my nails dug into my palms. And across me was principal Greene, his gaze on
RONALDNothing about the robbery sat right with me. I’d spent the last month going through every single detail, chasing every lead but the more I dug, the less sense everything made.For instance, the jewelry, the cash, every valuable. The robbers had stripped everyone clean that night, they made s
CATHERINEIt took me a while to comprehend what was going on at first. It felt like something that was ripped out straight out of a movie, Marcus stood, seething, Towson’s over Jayden, who was now on the porch floor with his face twisted in pain.Before I could say anything, Marcus brought his fist
CATHERINEIt had been two weeks since the incident. Two weeks of radio silence from T. The least he could do was call to make sure his spy wasn’t too badly damaged.Right. What the he’ll was I thinking? It’s not like he could say ‘sorry you got caught up in the cross fire. Next time I’ll be more co







