Crave Me, Kill Me

k, hands motionless

Corp terminal twice in the last ho

sea

rough metadata, timestamps, and user logs hunting for fingerpr

was the

ssed team briefs. But nowhere not in staff directories, not in onboard

ing without ever

e wanted i

ed at the ceiling. She'd known this j

t would bury her identity

brated once

wn Nu

urself in all t

fr

sage came in

an about B

uth we

it her lik

ckb

ard that name

whispered name tied to the confidential task force that i

ere. In her inbo

ickly her chair

t racing now. I

inside this building

bout wha

ows she's

locked. But it felt li

able, a faint crease between his brows as if s

all for you

ere as you

t are you

ard slowly, eyes

with a

d his desk, no

ond longer than necessary

didn't

behind his e

ou hear that

't. I r

m wh

l network. Which, as you've so often r

ly around the desk.

to come into this building th

ink I'm owe

y are yo

second. Then: "Because I

ser. The space betw

he said. "So l

pocket and pulled out a fo

ded it

t's

tes

nce style. Her. Leaving Nova's apartment. Walk

oto was from

said softly. "But they ca

stomach

By someone who doesn't work for me. And

en't told me w

"Because I don't kno

t your

et

ood in

he asked, "What are you

d him in

swe

ven closer.

dn't f

didn't

, Cassia

mber walking bac

assian had surveillance photos of her taken without his k

kbird was circling bo

yboard, pulse still thudding behind her ribs. She didn'

t into the backe

s when sh

old

ted. Not from th

y grayed out, almost invisible. No t

CT BL

od turn

ed to o

e prompt

dig

t racing. She knew this was ba

ame to her: 0423 the date of that

blinked.

e file

vi

: April 23,

licke

kered to grainy

s face. Staggering through

stomach

w that

ew tha

he man w

pse outside a Queens brow

death was neve

traight int

e screen cu

red across

F C. VALE // DO NOT REO

hands w

an's

ed the

ed the

on her terminal, like som

d her to

was

oid, emotio

t down t

was too tight. Her brain too loud. The air in her office suddenly felt th

t sounded li

lass door just in time

idn't

y were

felt

ven. Her reflection in the glass stare

open as she

la folder, was the silver haired executi

dn't reach her eyes. "Mr. Vale requested t

eplied, school

cked toward her

ettled in

apt f

ure yo

e precision. Her manicured nails brushed th

a

a

a

t. It was a signal. A me

locking your screen when you're away

respond, Elena tur

at followed fe

screen, and scanned every corn

Blackbird fo

lean. As if it h

p logs. The access

he had been

her system within th

ith root

taken the

o hid

emin

sa

now we're

what you

who yo

ne buzz

blocke

ine o

y buried for a r

ed at the

delet

trying to scare her,

sn't r

this

ntense, emotio

dn't g

ight

p, eyes low, fingers curled tight around the phone in her pock

and too loud, as if it didn't care she had jus

dn't changed

at screen made it real again i

still smel

e silence aft

had locked up in fear whil

ew Cassian's f

another inconvenience. A mess

head against the subw

y

l? Why let her see it now, when she

ess

ne wanted he

ho couldn

ill inside

t like her tra

ted again. She

asn't

answers. Nova was her safe place, her one person, an

Cass

know what

hie

sw

d pulling

e things. He already suspected her.

same way his fathe

s opening to her reflec

re ru

urviving

she was going to drag it into the l

of those nam