Vows he doesn't remember

o Refused T

R

hundred ways I'd

screaming through bloodied

ed like thunder

a sickening finality. For a s

ll

He was alive-but barely. The bullet had torn thr

pressing down on the wound. "Ke

, dazed,

raised. Her eyes weren't just wild. They were certain.

she said calmly.

him!" I

live. Long enough to rem

fr

you talk

deliberate. "You don't reme

mber

ent ice dow

helped me

hing s

ha

ying to protect you the first time. After my father cur

lted h

You gave permission

o, I d

hing cracked inside me. A memory,

and on mine as I whispered, "Erase everyth

art s

ean-" My kn

. "You're not just a victim, I

d between u

m. Her mouth opened-but a voic

un down, S

ce. Calm, icy, and c

ndra

wearing black leather gloves an

ith him. And I won't let that happen. Not wh

hine

e hell

d. "Your brother hired me to pull

. "I didn't

o. But I knew

is... you've been hiding a mem

dy and wide-eyed. "W

o her pocket and pul

pel. The one that holds your sealed contract. The v

aphine-but she

away in

s going to finish

down at

brea

blee

him, I'd have to face the one t

did t

en vault, she turns to me with a

t the truth? Or do you want

ee

g Callum had b

he floor, hands bloodied, screaming for someone-anyone-to call a doctor. S

membe

embered w

wasn't good for a "wife" to linger too close to someone with a head injury-especi

dn't

t them talk. I had b

oom was al

qu

ost a lot of blood but would recover. Still, the longer he st

e corners of the journal Ezra

ng was on th

te. Not

d conse

: Callu

ed by: I

egression protocol-

ate emotionally co

red back at me l

it. I c

lden Vex to erase

't remembe

Seraphin

d after the accident. How Lenora and Seraphine had twisted everything.

we ha

ing the gri

ehind me ma

aph

y like a storm waiting to crash through.

ut," I

he wouldn't

orgiveness. I n

eady for that now? Because I don't t

r signing

ed. "You think that's t

triumph. "You haven't rememb

d. "What

lullaby. "The one where you and Ezra are nak

fr

g away. You were cheating. Callum found

spered. "Yo

I? Maybe. But wouldn

ack flash drive onto t

ook as I pi

me down the hall

to the only person who might

suit. Graying hair, sunken cheeks, and eyes t

's west wing. Of course he did. Once you se

here," he said the

I snapped, shoving the flash drive into

for a long tim

aid. "Back then. Memory t

are. I wan

. "Are you ready to

answer, anoth

t h

d me. All sharp cheekbone

e truth. Even if

t us both. Then

here's no more pretending. No rewriting. You'll

allo

rea

s hospital bed, the flash drive in the laptop b

cked

the screen

blu

h

tel

ce. La

her

z

th

deo gl

d

m

a dark roo

dress from the

hind the c

Ez

ll

do it, Iris

t the scre

't che

s be

hispered onscreen. "Because they said

th?" Call

at the camer

mother, Callum.