't have s

cially not the third-the one that said per

l had left

. No one explained what each line truly meant. No one needed to. T

e. Expensive silence. Even the air s

n't sit across f

ways

ked looking d

was low, controlled. Not harsh, not soft. Just indiff

li

es

tighter. His dark eyes held mine, searching

urning away as if he hadn'

ve toward the tall glass windows. From his penth

what had I just

use my life w

t followed me home weren't paranoia. Someone was huntin

er, his

A single offer: Sign

s. No neg

Damon wante

ly said, "You

ign

or the first time without legal pape

al touches. The walls were dark, the furnit

sn't

a for

sure if I was allowed to mo

here until fu

e cracked, too

place where I can contr

ed hard.

His stare wasn't cru

safety is free

no a

-or minutes.

ed with a suitcase of clothes I hadn'

ting locked doors, unmarked rooms. I wasn't to

voice cut thro

the doors on

in the

's th

her

. "And if you want to kee

wouldn

y hea

rac

the enormous guest bed, listening to sounds I coul

as thi

had I sign

ink of escape... did I alre

Damon Reeves

mehow, he

f

onfu

I didn't ye

n't feel li

me, flat and

res your presence

. Not din

eakfast. I sign

Non-Disclosu

ng table, dressed in another ta

end, hands clas

without l

ns from this point for

s

ound like a

e why that m

's happening from

aze l

e meeting him, his mask cra

wasn't as detache

he said

nderstand.

inside me kn

o

y s

I realized I wasn

s tr

ocked b

ws se

s rem

ction to the

i

ho owned

udin

nce to qu

re. But from who? What

He was reviewing files in his o

his voice was soft. N

dead think hurting

"But I'm not

hurt more

ore he cou

ven int

d my eyes as I curled up on

the lawy

nursing a coffee I couldn'

dows that alway

t had sat opposite me, placing

it. Or

t is

surv

d, bitter

t have

ward, voice fla

pe, I saw Damon Reeves' name pr

tten in ink acros

s the

now what t

ill

ld ceiling of the billionaire's fortr

I was a key, then somewhe

ever's b

oming