His captive, His obsession

RA'S

me the moment I st

catching faces, expensive clothes, and people pretending their lives were more

nd of

ked in. Whispers foll

d me more attention than I'd ever asked for. Some called me an angel. Others called me a he

osest thing to peace I'd had in a long time. He had a terrible habit of treating me like I was made of g

im. I alw

t the apartment had been

my shoulder, and I inten

ndr

rounded by our usual crowd. I crossed the floor

're

rvived. I'm

r, flirt, heartbreaker. I'd heard them all. The funny part was that most of them had never spoken to me properl

re!" Charlot

and c

y something

etheart. I have somet

meant someone was abou

: embarrassing confessions, ridiculous dances. Then t

ing a

r dare,

ar

I dare you to give Harrison

d and every guy secretly competed with, sat across fro

That's the big dare

"Start th

at evening, he looked

o

y waist, and moved with the rhythm, aware of

nervous,"

imaginin

lps you slee

eat without a second glance. Someone joked

say? I'm unf

fferable," C

t you l

rtuna

should be: music, friends, freedom. No

oom tilted

that stop me from heading

e the man on the balcony above me. I didn't notice the dark eyes f

m to realize someone had just bec

TT'

, too many idiots who thought

tances. The mafia meeting earlier had been a waste of time: too many excuses, too many men fo

, I fou

te to be noticed. Then I watched her. She had a confidence that bordered on recklessness. She moved

hing from me: money, protection, power. My nam

even know

't known hers f

looked pleased with himself. She looked bored. When it ended, s

less d

were stupid enough to call me that withi

tian W

yes briefly.

lovely g

ant a bet

We've located the man who leaked inf

ething worth

e. I'll deal w

d for the stairs. That should h

with me. A glass shattered. Col

he stain, then slo

ared at me for about two seconds befo

so sorr

ded anyt

. This girl had ruined an expensive shirt, laughed about it

now, so please don't

re dr

obse

strangled sou

name could turn a room cold. "Are you always this quiet?" I sa

away, shoul

No desperate attempt to charm me. And for reaso

I said

smiling. "Have a nice nig

g an apology, without looking back. But something ha

. "Well. That w

n and you'l

ree seconds.

Do you have

curi

g else to be c

ne and rain. Derry waited until the driv

S

N

ow what I'm g

now

Fine. Who wa

moth

itely, like a man who had forgotten what

nis

twice your size. And tonight a random girl spills a drink on y

becoming a be

mething." He studie

N

to know

d not

ed. "Oh, that'

fact that every weakness eventually became someone else's weapon. Interes

her," I

cour

't. Neith

RA'S

son had a problem, an

amusing, then flattering, now just annoying. He was attractive and charming whe

tioning my whereabouts. I'd fought too hard for my

one b

y the pool after cl

is the last time we

when I got th

invit

always t

u prefer

g guy, and half the school would fight for you. But I'm not interested in be

way. "What

iting for somethin

meant, but it was true.

sor

e y

you're hurt. I'm not s

ck. Some called that heartless.

tled in. Why is it so easy for people to fall

n't looking for trouble. And I certainly wasn't loo

ere I wanted it: simpl

about t

RA'S

once, the worl

crolled my phone, a

to s

to you too,

ment. After that, we find

hing l

prom

and gone outside. No Wendy. Typical. Be

how long I've

exaggerated annoyance. I blinked. "

atever. Are we doing

ce it, a group of students shouted from beside a black Me

eady smiling.

ted a few hours of forgetting: Harrison, school, th

thing cau

d. The driver's window lowered a few inches, and a man sat behind the wheel in black

at the road. He

his attention, cold, deliberate, unsettling. It was the same fee

it

Are you

ndow was rising. The man d

min

isten, but my mind stayed on that car. I didn't know his name, why he was watching m

d have

ailored black suits and speak in quiet voices and watch you from behin

you're part of their game,