Crave Me, Kill Me

being

r heartbeat wouldn't settle even after she'd walked ten blocks

trembling slightly around a paper cup

folded between her contract paper

dn't n

photo didn't exist. It couldn't exist. No one had taken it. T

that. Changed her nam

reached into her grave and pu

ed over the

flinch but h

around. Not at the menu. Not at the bari

ulse

or pretended not t

cide

osed h

uch thin

her phone. She scrolled to the only nu

o

end. The one person who knew

hit

t to vo

up. Text

alk. Urgent.

nd. Waited

nced up

returned. But a black SUV h

omach

and left the café wit

ight've bee

thr

pretend anymore. Someon

anted her

Brooklyn. The kind of place that smelled like old books an

e walls seemed to

door before Ar

like hell,

know how to make a

"I meant it in the

her boots like she had a thousand ti

her with qu

al

he didn't say anything. Just watched Nova's face change

ispered. "Where d

y offer packet.

ply. "You sure some

nd, Nova. No one else has this photo. Hel

s she handed it back. "

kno

t, A

kno

rashed be

ripping the arm of the couc

bout options. You can't work there, Ari. You

now what t

just coincidence? The Vale family owns that

t. "You said practically. I

this up now? You've been buried for years

assian Vale looked at me today like he

sti

You m

nod

d. That's not good at all. He's not just rich.

scared

you sho

red at e

oftened. "You're s

thought I could be someone else. I thought if I worked

her arm. "You're not the gi

the woman who's about to walk

"So what do yo

king th

you i

watching me, I want to know why. A

e wrist. "Then at leas

ha

d really bad d

idn't reach her eyes.

as too quiet when

a one-bedroom on the third floor of a walk-up near Bed

oorway for a full

th

stepped

swayed slightly, though the windows were shut. The lamp on her en

est ti

ly, walked through the ap

room un

ean, like

or open, mi

dr

r drawers

of t

y neat, which she never did. Her jewelry tr

ing had bee

t looking f

e lookin

ady in her hand. Her thumb hover

reaching into hers, involving anyone else could ge

old box she kept under the floorboard photos, flash drives, newspa

ched this box

t like her

red the

umber

tared

k Qu

Disgraced. The only person

ce she'd disappeared. He did

ould get into her place

hesi

zzed in her hand a

wn Nu

Some ghosts do

ow of his private penthouse office, thirty stor

oved in twe

mechanical, alive. But not

a Q

t what he

had done none of that. She'd studied him like she was trying to decide if he was human or my

about her

lified. N

ething in his gut twist a pu

er skin. Stillness behind h

there was

put it i

sk no name attached, no explanation, just slipped ins

d the image

le. Standing in front of

ee

t n

impos

hould'v

aying a long game. And they wer

s tablet still glowed, showing security footage of Aria leaving the bui

kn

e photo. And

o

th faster than co

e feed and loc

s phone and diale

ered on the

. V

ssian said quietly. "Keep eyes on he

s,

ithout my permission you'll

ic

ed the

lence, eyes dark,

ed if Aria Quin

g told him s

to let anyone else