Chapter 1 - THE REASON VINCENT CAME FOR ME
Vincent turned toward me the moment Luke shut the rear door.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
That was somehow worse than a threat.
The sedan pulled away from the curb while rain streaked across the windows.
“Where are we going?” I asked again.
Vincent looked at Luke.
“Drive.”
Then he turned back to me.
“Your apartment isn’t safe.”
My stomach tightened.
“Because of you?”
“No.”
“That’s not very comforting.”
One corner of his mouth moved.
“You’re still talking to me like that.”
“You fired me.”
“I didn’t.”
“Your company did.”
“My company was told to.”
That stopped me.
“By who?”
Vincent’s expression hardened.
“That is what I’m trying to find out.”
He reached into his coat and removed a photograph.
My breath caught.
It showed me leaving Hayes Tower the previous night.
Another showed me at the bus stop.
Another had been taken through the window of my apartment building.
My grandmother and I were visible inside the lobby.
I looked up sharply.
“You had someone following me?”
“These aren’t mine.”
The car suddenly felt colder.
“Then whose are they?”
Vincent leaned closer.
“Someone broke into my private security office six hours after the elevator incident.”
I stared at him.
“They stole footage?”
“No.”
His voice lowered.
“They left these.”
My mouth went dry.
On the back of the first photograph, written in black marker, were five words.
SHE SAW MORE THAN SHE KNOWS.
“I didn’t see anything.”
“I believe you.”
“Why?”
“Because if you had, you wouldn’t still be walking around alone.”
I hated how calmly he said it.
The sedan turned sharply and entered an underground garage.
“Where are we?”
“One of my buildings.”
“I’m not staying anywhere with you.”
“You’re not.”
Vincent opened his door.
“You’re staying with your grandmother.”
I froze.
“She’s here?”
“Luke brought her twenty minutes ago.”
Anger exploded through my fear.
“You took my grandmother?”
Vincent’s eyes went cold.
“I moved her before the men outside your building could.”
I got out and nearly slammed the door.
Grandma was waiting upstairs in a private apartment, furious but unharmed.
She hugged me.
Then slapped Vincent’s arm with her purse.
“Do not kidnap old women.”
Luke coughed to hide a laugh.
Vincent actually looked offended.
“I saved your life.”
“You could have knocked.”
For the first time, I saw Vincent Hayes speechless.
Then Grandma turned to me.
“Claire, there’s something you need to know.”
Her face had changed.
Fear had replaced irritation.
“What?”
She looked toward Vincent.
Then back at me.
“The man watching our apartment…”
She swallowed.
“I’ve seen him before.”
My heart dropped.
“Where?”
May you like
Grandma whispered:
“At your mother’s funeral.”
