HOMELESS HEART, PRICELESS LOVE

e Betwe

distance the

hores, a second job she picked up just to avoid long stretches alone in the apartment. Every

the wall

r build it at

how close their lips had come. How her voice ha

wanted to run, but par

it in h

e refused

nwh

ad had final

ator had emailed him

the shell account t

o his half-brothe

screen, jaw tight

g the firstborn, the heir. But murder? Lorenzo had

re was

just betra

was

tell Ayl

ugh pain on

a fire unde

ople still believed he was dead. If Adrian ever found out Lorenzo was

't let th

ay Aft

turned from wo

of rain began to fall. He found her down the block,

front of her boss

customer w

ke wet dog," s

he works here? Or just eats out

head and picked up the crates she'd be

s fists

pair and said in a voice so

logi

blinked. "

ated, "apologize

forward. "Who

l owner. "She's done here.

at?

ull week," he said flatly

tood f

rned

t's

ipping in the doorway. Her teeth cha

ou come?"

s wor

't need

closer. "Ye

racked. "You can't

ng w

owing through my life. Making me feel seen. Making

can

ree. "Because when people leave, it hurts. And people

ed, ches

no dif

Then another. Until he was

ying no

then eyes soaked with

rumbled

hts fli

rything

St

r ou

the sound of thunder and

w was soft and flickering, casti

ut of those wet c

"There's only

eep on t

eep on t

sleeping o

ch other for a lo

epping into the bedroom an

unning a hand throu

rm was

g compared to the

rs

uldn't

ther co

a whisper. The apartmen

T-shirts he'd left folded for her. Her hair was damp

from the couch.

ook he

ach other throug

sat bes

too

not

being afraid,"

o," he

at him, rea

orn into luxury and yet someh

still here?

er was i

n't know how

le

in but this time, f

shing a strand of

o run anymore,"

n do

ces drew

ted for a

closed

lips t

sn't

n't de

ke a promise. Like a qu

is shirt. His hand slid u

ce her world collapsed, Ay

t.

s the street, someone wat

ssed to t

ce

with him. Yes

pa

t yet.