The Sterling's Twisted Love Story

chemical burns Charlotte had inflicted on my skin blistered and wept. The

e muttered, applying a thick, greasy salve.

ents, not to me. I was a spec

restless sleep, when I heard voices from the hallway. Richa

Richard said, his voice a low rumble. "But they' re getti

f collateral?

from Ava' s old agency. Her psych evals, mission histories, medical records.

is mind to it, he could get them. And if the Phoenix syndicate, a brutal criminal organization, got their hands on my entire operational

orders didn' t matter anymo

skin screaming in protest against the fabric. I managed to jimmy the lock on my wind

ignored it and began to run, disappearing into the dark woods that surrounde

to a halt beside me. Before I could react, two men in ski masks jumped out. I tried to fight, my training kicking

A third man, also masked, was driving. A few minutes later,

her?" a famil

opped. It w

th excitement. She looked at me, tied up and h

" she said. "G

to her. "We got her. Now, wh

is is over," Charlotte

ed out and traced one of the burns on my arm w

ed, her voice filled with

You tried to take my family. You tried to take my

me across the face, hard. Th

"Don' t damage the goods. Her old man is

re you talking about? My father isn' t payin

t big enough. We took your down payment, sure. But then we made a better offer to D

isted in fury. "You

e and made a call. "We have the package," he said. A moment la

eaker, strained and anxious. "Charl

nt. Her face crumpled, and tears welled i

Ava when she ran away, I was trying to get her to

Richard said. "They want mone

d... they said they' ll only let one

he van. I knew what his choice

rm, devoid of emotion. "Keep the other one. Do

ne wen

tte to me. He seemed to be enjoy

placed by a cruel, triumphant s

" she said. "I was hop

ning letters. She pressed the tip against the burn on my arm. The pain

replace me," she whispe

in was too much. My body was giving up. This is it, I t

crunching metal. The back doors flew open, and the van spun to a stop. I was

the van. A flashbang grenade rolled in, exploding in a blinding flash of

ting my ties. I looked up an

t Ha

eep track of, Miller," he

.?" I managed

erling moved up the timetable on his deal. We hav

rd a crying, hysterical Charlotte. They wrapped her in their arms, complet

me die. The last thing I saw was Richard Sterling looking over at me, his eyes filled with pure, unadu

ife, only to throw m