Contracted Hearts

ring felt li

inking into the thick carpet. She had called Karen's number

r mother sleep right

ction in the dark window. The city lights blurred into a watercolor of red and gold. She was twenty floors u

going to sit

soft, recessed lighting. She marched to the double doors at the

he shouted. "O

und of heavy footstep

and Elena's breath

in the doorwa

was bare-chested, wearing only a pair of low-slung, dark grey swe

impressive breadth of his shoulders

ight shoulder, the scar tissue old but vicious. A long, jagged knife slash acro

s a soldier who had walked

tor," Marcus said, his voice

"They called," she said, her voice shaking despite her best efforts. "They have my moth

look shocked. He didn't look sympathetic. He

tract the statement

momentarily eclipsed b

alking into the massive, dark bedroom. "Call your lawyer.

g into fists. "You are a monster," she hissed. "My

voice sharp as a blade. He grabbed a black t-shirt fro

, compliant witness. If you retract the statement, you buy us time. You make them belie

cked into place. It wasn't

ng chess," sh

t buys us twenty-four hours. My team is already triangulatin

oked at the man standing before her. He was cold, calculating, and rut

the statement. But if my mother dies, I will hold

across Marcus's mouth. "I'd

his shoulder brushin

ticed before. He stopped in front of a blank wall, pressed his thumb ag

ed inside a

command

showed live security feeds of the penthouse, the street below,

d around a central console. They snap

g to a tall, heavily built man with a buzz cut and a hard f

nd ring on her finger. A flicker of surprise crossed his

er mother's phone. N

dded. "Y

e's micro-expressions. For a split second, when Marcus turned his back, Damon hesitated. His

nt passed. He

ry-grade encryption protocol," Mar

ain screen. "Sir, the signal is bouncing o

of cedar and gunpowder. His arm brushed against her hip as he leaned over the console, po

," Marcus said, his voice l

e main monit

am vanished, repla

d, frantically typing. "We're

d, and a live vid

heart

old grandfather clock, the knitted blanket draped ov

ther was asleep in her armchair. Her head

in a black balaclava, holding a

ng from her throat. Marcus caught her around t

rowled in her

tly into the camera. When he spoke, his v

nd can protect you, Dr. Va

sleep, oblivious to

wn your police. You have twelve hours to retract the statement. If yo

een wen

er fell into a s

her tight, his grip the only thing keeping her upright. Sh

f her ear. His voice was ice, but it was lace

voice a deadly whisper. "And when y