He Found My Secret Revenge
her lungs dragging in air a
The alley
expecting damp brick
met with grey. So
tchen. The sheets were Egyptian cotton, cool and smooth a
e, blue light of early morning. The curtains-heavy, automated velvet-were slow
rashed i
penthouse.
d at the
d with military precision. A pair of soft
cked up the lace bra sit
iver ran down her spine. These weren't new. The lace was slightly worn at the strap. These were
as a reminder. Even when she thought she was free, she had been archived in
ing the strange intimacy of wearing clothes he had
om door and stepped
rst. Rich, dark roast. Then, t
smell to the open
was t
He was wearing black athle
ed dead in
antry door. His back muscles rippled and bunched like shifting tectonic pl
he toes of his sneaker dragging slightly on the mat below. He was compensating entirely with
.. ninety-nine
dro
His right foot tapped the floor to stabilize. A sharp, guttural hiss of
self against the granite
eaction, she told herself. Just biology. And horror at the
saw
f-naked or in pain. If anything, he stood a little taller,
tay on his face. "Yes. Actually. It's the first
coffee machine, a slight li
the marble island toward her. Black
the mug.
buzzed in
She pulled it out. The screen flashed a
h dropped. She
on? Is every
e in the cheap suit? Chad? Or... no, he was screaming about money. He was banging on
d her knuckles turned white. T
is he sti
"But he was gone. Faith, you can't come
and was shaking uncontrollably
second. He took the
and authoritative. "This is Detective Grant, private security
d. Grant? It was his middle
d in the lobby now. They will be there in five minutes. Do not open the door
cond, then nodded. "
the phone into his p
asked, her vo
flip a piece of bacon. "Less baggage attached to the middle
c rising again. "If Chad kicked the door
cal failsafe for the Oracle network. If Chad ransacked the place, he might knock it loose. If he found it, he woul
," she said, stepp
en turn around. "The
o leave, to get to a secure terminal, to initiate the remote kill switc
l said, plating the bacon. "You
ing questions," Faith argued, her mind racing. "I have to go in. Just to... just to
looked at her, w
You clear your locker. But you don't go alone.
is expensive, Earl
iPhone sitting on the counter next to the fruit bowl. "That's
g-d
orbell
flin
. He walked to the
but his posture was too straight, his eyes too sha
ing his face perfectly neutral. He pushed
Al," Ea
ith, a flicker of amusem
d unpacking
atched,
rate of avocados. And... a box of L
th asked, picking up a jar of moisturiz
carton of almond milk into the Sub-Zero fridge. "Can'
eggs. The domesticity of it-the billionaire making breakfast, the boxe
the fridge door with his hip. "Until the Boar
e man who had secured her building, replaced her phone, and s
in her armor. J
Earl," she
pped inches away, looking down.
voice dropping an octave. "Eat your