Sinful Sounds In The Dark

treets slick beneath flickering neon. Gabriel led them to a decrepit office building wh

foyer smelled of stale coffee and mildew. A staircase led to a hallway

" he mu

ok at the lock. She couldn'

oor, then produced a paperclip and pi

ts top cluttered with dust-coated files. Portraits of Sebastian in suits stared down at them, his smug gri

stack of papers-contracts, letters, receipts, all bearing Sebastian's embossed seal. She pulled

the duet: two lines of melody woven together, one in Gabriel's familiar Fa minor, the other in Mara

e desk, clutching the music. "I

ide him. "We can

-vulnerable, hungry, dete

head toward the safe, where its heavy door swung open with a metallic groan. Behind it, two f

and amused. He walked forward, hands in his

clutched to his chest. "Wh

rstand that everything has a price. And you'

's head. Lily lunged to Gabriel's side, pressing herself

No. I want a show. I want the duet performed tonight-liv

placed the sheet music on the desk,

er chest tigh

I'll see you at nine p.m. If yo

arm, and dragged her toward the door. Gabriel raised

an said, voice cold.

ds later, footsteps receded down the hallway. She stood trembling, feeling Gabriel'

ticking clock. By nine that night, Gabriel had

sagged. "He n

he does. He's bolder

e I thought I could outsmart him. I believed I coul

em over the sheet music. "Now y

ncing in the low light. "I... I don't know

dience," Lily said, though her stomach clenched a

losed his eyes, inhaling deeply. "We need a plan. Sec

stract him; you'll pl

head. "Not

he performance space-speakers, hidden cameras, maybe even live stream. If she

rise? We cut power to the hall. Play acoustically. When he ex

s rose. "You thin

the hall, he'll realize his cameras and speakers are useles

o this, we do it at first light. I need to know the layout. Samantha"-he grabbed h

pocket. "I'll message a friend. Someo

ftened just a bit

eart pounded. "Tonight,

He ran through the plan once more, pacing the narrow living area, L

Sebastian in the front balcony-he always likes the best seat for his 'sho

at if he has a b

ow the place." His voice dr

e generator first. We'll ma

s head. "Yo

lips. "And you're stubborn.

his lips-but she saw the doubt behin

er the piano. "I'm heading out now." She g

hing her lips against his. "

as midnight. "Bring t

nto the hall's night-shr

ved. The marquee, half-collapsed, barely spelled out "HEARTSTONE HALL"

rusted, nearly blending into the sagging brick. She slid a slim lockpick from her pocket-

fumes curled around spilled oil cans. The generator's hum w

She traced the thick cable that led to the main breaker and cut it with a wirecutter. When the generator

ns, flashlights dancing on the walls. Lily's breath hitched. She duck

re!" one growled

can't be far. Sebasti

aught her breath as they passed. The corridor lights flic

She peeked around the corner: no one wa

de door. The stage yawned before her, dark and empty. The seats were tatte

see them in the darkness, but she knew they

ight sweeping toward her. Lily ducked back, pressing herself against a column. The henchman stumb

e, hearing a sickening crack as he doubled over. Then she jabbed the wirecutt

belt and scrambled to the stage doors. The snap of her jacket a

he corridor behind the stage smelled of damp wood and rosin-an old violin case lay o

His pulse pounded like a war drum, skin cold with sweat. The hall felt enormous a

ed through a broken window, painting a silver wedge across the sea

r courage, her fire, her steady heartbeat. He opened his battered piano ben

a henchman, a gun, a bullet. Instead, Lily appeared on the wi

ed, breathless. "No camera

d, swallowing

ny minute Sebastian will realize. But you don'

the piano. "I do

toward him. "This is your mom

her laugh, the curl of her hair when they danced around the pi

sitant whisper. Then the second. The duet unfolded in his mind: the thing that had

pla

ougher, more alive. Without speakers, it reverberated thro

ment: footsteps scutt

nd voice was missing-the pull-and-answer of Mara's soprano-but Gabr