lled like disinf

Something harder to name. The smell of people afraid to die. People waitin

from pulling Elara out of the wreckage. His hands were cut from the broken glass. Dark stai

Wires ran from her small chest to monitors that showed her heartbeat in green lines across black screens

he woman who'd vanished from the criminal underworld three years ago. The woma

to find her. To bring back the weapo

had been destroyed by the crash. The bones crushed, the features changed beyond recogn

and he was left

d the key to ever

oked tired, like he'd been working for days without sleep. "Type O n

her said with

t him with surprise

at the sleeping girl. So small i

l she h

through the plastic tubes into the small girl's veins, he felt

life was contracts and targets and money changi

l and helpless, he knew he co

. Internal bleeding. Possible concussion. Her body

up, her first

without feeling anything. He'd seen bodies and blood and violence that wo

people would kill for what was hidden in her eyes. That the world

ice small and confused. She tried to sit

his mouth. Lies always did, but sometimes lies were kind

ll she c

e, so trusting, so hopeful. She still believed her mother would walk

They came out rougher than he'd inte

o young to understand death, but she knew

ess. He'd faced down armed killers without flin

found it in the wreckage, somehow untouched by the fire. The gold was ta

. Both of them smiling, happy. Before the runnin

er neck. The chain was too long for her, but she gra

ingers, tracing the edges. She opene

ama," she

nd that

cket and held it

mewhere safe," Asher s

't I sta

. There are people looki

stay wi

voice. The way she looked at him without fear, even thoug

ll come back for

children. St. Catherine's Home for Children. A plac

nd out who had tried to kill Valeria. He had to trace the truck th

seemed kind enough. She promised to take goo

crying behind him. Soft, heartbroken sobs that

matter what it took. No

omewhere. And the key to unlocki

make sure she lived l

she call

hand on the handle. He did

feet on the floor.

around his leg the way only a child could

forge

cracked cl

n't. If he looked at her face

came out hoars

ev