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Chapter One

Pearl

Winter raged through New York City A colossal force of nature, the snow caked against the skyscrapers and sprinkled the streets with icy kisses The Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center still stood tall and proud, but it was quickly blanketed with a white sheet

The tree stood in the living roohts had been wrapped around it I always insisted on a real tree in the apartht the holidays to life It left pine needles all over the floor and it was difficult to e, but it was still worth it

I held the ornament in my hand as I tried to find a place to put it It was covered with sloppy red paint, and a picture edged in the center It was Jacob when he was eight years old He made it for a class project and took it when he moved out of his parents’ place

Christmas was difficult for rew up in a foster home, and the one time I was adopted, my adoptive parents quickly tookanother child was too much of a financial burden It was just a few days before Christmas

A knock sounded on the door, and ers almost released the ornament If it crashed to the floor and shattered, I never would have been able to forgiveparents who adored hiot

I returned the ornament to the box before I opened the door A man in a black leather jacket stood across the threshold His long black hair was slicked with grease, and his bushy eyebrows leamed with melted snow from the sidewalk

Like he owned the place, he stepped inside “Where’s Jacob?”

“Whoa, hold on” I placed ainst his chest and pushed him back “I didn’t invite you inside So keep your ass across that line” I tapped ainst the metal strip that separated the hallway from my apartment

His eyebrows furrowed even more

“No can I help you?” I didn’t know this guy, but he sure knew Jacob

“I want to see Jacob”

“He’s not here right now Who are you?”

“He’s not here, my ass” His accent was thick, possibly Italian “I know he’s back there Tell him to come out, or I’ll make him come out”

“He’s really not here,” I snapped “He’s at work What’s this about?”