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CHAPTER 1

This can’t be happening The phrase repeats over and over again in my mind as my skin prickles with dread There’s soout froood

The cop doesn’t see me yet Any second he’ll turn around and I have no idea what I’ll say The floor isn’t closed off I don’t knohy and I don’t care Sean is going to killback up here, but I can’t leave Mel like this My heart is stuck in o away no matter how hard I s

A noise startles htly infrom within the room and I only take notice when it stops He knows I’ain before I realize what itto find the phone as fast as possible

“You shouldn’t be up here, miss” The cop says, and starts to walk toward me

My s and look at the picture on my screen Ice drips down my spine and pools inain and I swipe the button to accept the call “Hello?”

The cop walks towardI expect to hear ato say so horrible, but what I hear shocks me even more

“Avery? Are you listening to me? Get the fk out of there! Now!” It’s Mel My hands start shaking and I suck in a ragged breath

“Mel—?” My voice catches in the back of ooseflesh

“Miss, this floor is closed” The cop talks at the sa his uniform, and he has that seriously displeased look policemen hen they’ve seen too much My God, what happened in that room while Sean and I were downstairs?

“Avery Leave Now” Her words co each one so that it sinks in

I’ over me, where I can barely think “Where are you?”

Mel doesn’t tellhappened and I did what I had to do Get the hell out of there I wouldn’t have even called, but the thing is, I think she was after you, not oes dead

Sing hard, I place my phone inat him and lifts his hand toward the elevator banks At that moment, Sean peeks out from the doorway I turn back and our eyes lock, but neither of us speaks He doesn’t want me involved in this, but I don’t know if it can be avoided

“Mr Ferro,” says a deep voice from within the room, “we’re not done here”

Sean glances back at the man and then to me “One moment” Sean walks down the hallway toward me with swift, determined, strides He stops a step from me, like we’re acquaintances and hands o out to Long Island to take care of soets settled” His eyes are liquid blue and filled orry He blinks it away and his gaze once again turns to steel

A large detective wearing a poorly fitting blue suit steps into the hallway “Mr Ferro, we’re not done” The man has jowls that are cartoonish He’s way past his pris under his eyes There’s a large nose in the center of his face that relances at Sean “Who’s this?”

Sean speaks before I have a chance to answer “A friend She wasn’t up here when this happened”

The uniformed cop looks at me with added interest The detective asks, “Then, where were you?”

I feel nervous with all their eyes onroom, downstairs”

The detective walks toward me “What’s your name, sweetheart?” I tell hiht I omit the fact that I was up here with Mel earlier and talk about dinner “What are you doing here, now?”

“I came to see Mr Ferro” It’s the truth and I look too innocent or naïve to theard me after a few more questions, but then he asks for the paper Sean handed o”

I don’t want to show hiers, I lift it up so he can read it The runts and shakes his head “A strip club? He handed you a card for a strip club?”

I shrug and ss The cop inhales suddenly, and it’s way too loud My outfit screae, but the card throws hiive it to you?”

I smile, and look at the carpet and say the first lie I can conjure “I was looking for a place to have a bachelorette party He said he knew this place”