When the Hearts collide

t moved in a

Amara paced near the fireplace inside, her nerves burning a hole in her skin. Every minute

" she said, brea

r. "The plan was to get

ting him erase me like he erased my mother. And I'm sure as hell

ut something new flickered in them-steel. "We do

we get

want to go back

loser. "I was b

er for a long mome

en we stop surviving

s dusty, a little outdated, but loaded with encrypted backups-internal documents, emails, pay

ell companies. Wire transfers. Names. Some were aliases

ena C

ed over. "Y

slowly. "She went off the radar right after Mom

he's not off the radar. She's ju

he screen. "You t

tened. "Only one

someone on the inside would know. A string of numbers re

rth th

p his burner ph

ne ran

voice a

ho is

e. "Elaine Lane's dau

le

sharp

e are

closed-down bookstore in a

red, hair grayer, but her eyes-sha

the moment they stepped into the back room.

o hide," Amara said.

ded toward Julian. "And

said. "But he didn't

med to b

he table. "Everything your mother died trying to expose is on here.

or it. "Why have

d within days. But you-you're still part of the worl

hand, suddenly aware of its

ne man. By an entire network. But if you sta

sat heavy

his is your mother's voice

't blink

t into the right hands-law enforcement, media, whi

one?" Ju

darkening, "you give them time to clean house. One clea

into her jacket pocket

cabin only long enoug

found herself staring at a photo on the fireplace mantel-an old black-and-white shot

cked the front door, so

not the bu

mber. A si

o l

h light

n d

zed above the treetops-small, fas

Amara. "Go! Int

y r

e drone zipped

s, breath ragged, feet tear

ss the tree line-three, maybe four SUVs, rolling sl

us," Amara

ing her hand tightly. "T

the forest-toward a hidden trail

enemy wasn't just

ady inside