Chapter 1 - THE STRANGER WHO KNEW MY NAME
Adrien Mancini stood in the doorway with snow melting on the shoulders of his black coat.
He was the man who had pulled me out of the blizzard.
I remembered his voice before I remembered his face.
There's someone in the snow.
Now that I could see him clearly, I realized why the people around him seemed so careful.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and carried himself with the quiet confidence of a man who rarely heard the word no.
A thin scar crossed his chin.
His dark eyes moved from the IV in my arm to the untouched bread on my tray.
"You're awake."
I nodded.
"Apparently."
One corner of his mouth moved.
"I'm Adrien Mancini."
"Madison Bennett."
"I know."
Something about those two words bothered me.
"How?"
"Your driver's license."
"Right."
I glanced toward the window.
Beyond the glass, snow covered acres of dark Montana wilderness.
"Your sister said the roads were closed."
"They are."
"And your doctor said my baby's okay."
"That's what he told me."
I lowered my spoon.
"Why did you bring me here instead of a hospital?"
Adrien's expression became unreadable.
"The storm. Your condition. We had a doctor available."
"That's only part of the answer."
He looked at me more carefully.
"You ask a lot of questions."
"I woke up in a stranger's mansion with stitches in my head. Seems reasonable."
To my surprise, he nodded.
"It is."
He pulled a chair several feet from the bed.
"There's another reason. I have enemies in Billings. Going to the wrong hospital could've put everyone in danger."
My stomach tightened.
"Enemies?"
"Yes."
"What kind of enemies?"
He held my gaze.
"The dangerous kind."
Wonderful.
I had escaped a cheating boyfriend, rolled my car down an embankment, nearly frozen to death, and apparently been rescued by a man who spoke about enemies as though they were a weather condition.
"Are you a criminal?"
Adrien didn't blink.
"Yes."
At least he was honest.
I looked toward the door.
"I want to leave when it's medically safe."
"You can."
"Without asking your permission?"
"Without asking my permission."
I studied him.
For someone who looked capable of terrifying an entire room, he sounded strangely calm.
"Thank you for helping me," I said.
He nodded.
"You're welcome."
Then his gaze settled on the untouched bread.
"Eat. The doctor said you need to regain your strength."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Do you always order strangers around?"
"Usually."
"Must be exhausting."
This time, he actually smiled.
Before he could answer, someone knocked.
Franco entered.
His expression was tense.
"Boss, we have a problem."
Adrien stood.
"What?"
Franco glanced toward me.
Then lowered his voice.
"The vehicle she was driving has been recovered."
My heart skipped.
"My car?"
Franco nodded.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Is it totaled?"
He hesitated.
Adrien noticed.
"Say it."
Franco swallowed.
"The brake system was examined."
I frowned.
"What about it?"
He looked directly at Adrien.
"The initial inspection suggests someone may have tampered with the brake line before the crash."
The room went silent.
I stared at him.
"That's impossible."
Franco shook his head.
"The investigators haven't reached a final conclusion."
Adrien turned toward me.
His expression had changed.
"Madison, who had access to your car?"
I thought about the apartment.
The parking garage.
The spare key hanging near Connor's kitchen door.
Then I remembered something.
Three nights earlier, Connor had borrowed my car.
He said he needed to pick up groceries.
He was gone for nearly two hours.
My mouth went dry.
"Connor."
Adrien frowned.
"Who's Connor?"
I looked at him.
"The father of my baby."
May you like
Then I whispered the words I didn't want to believe.
"And the man who threw me out into the snow."
