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Kat craned her neck and looked straight up at the building, utterly uncertain what to do The height would not be a proble about the penthouse apartment that loo exposed and fragile So she shivered, staring up, completely unsure how to find her way inside

Oh, it would have been easy enough to purchase a bouquet of flowers, throw on an apron, and disappear into the parade of florists and caterers that had been filing in and out of the service elevators allon the third floor, easily within Kat’s reach There were at least a half dozen ways for Kat to access the penthouse, but even Katarina Bishop knew there were some rooms she shouldn’t con or break her way into

Besides, it was the only Hale family residence into which Kat had never been invited Like a vampire, she felt that it would be almost i, staring at her phone

"Hey, Hale," she told the recording that answered when she tried his nue, I’randmother Hale, I’m so sorry" Kat ended the call without another word

Maybe he was busy

Maybe he was sad

Maybe he was grounded

Maybe he was still in Argentina, lying in a roadside ditch and calling out her name

Or maybe he was…

"Hale?" Kat said when she saw a pack ofdoors They all wore dark suits and darker expressions, and they were so unifor their midst She stared for a moment, uncertain at first that it was hi so many different roles--but Kat couldn’t help but realize that the boy who stood before her was someone she had never seen before

Theat the curb, so she spoke louder "Hale!"

Every roup stopped and stared

"Sorry," she said "I est Hale on the sidewalk

He stepped cautiously away fronize her

"Hey," she told him

"Hey," he said back "How’s the Raphael?"

"Fine Halfway to Mr Stein and its rightful owner"

"Any trouble?"

"There were dogs," Kat found herself confiding "We hadn’t been expecting dogs, but they took one look at Gabrielle and fell in love, so…we hed a little

"Right," Kat said and mimicked his smile "We missed you"

"Son?" one of thehis black hair He stood at the li in Hale’s direction

"Just a minute" Hale called over his shoulder and kept his hands deep in his pockets

"That’s your dad?" Kat asked, but Hale acted like he hadn’t heard

"Kat," he said, voice lohat are you doing here?"

He looked and sounded a world away froentina

She sed and told hirandmother I’m so sorry"

"Thanks"

"I tried calling, but…I orried, Hale You just disappeared"

"Son?" Hale’s father called again

The first black car pulled away froic

"Look, I’ve got to go The funeral is upstate to up there today, so…"

"Are you okay?"

"It’s good seeing you" He headed for the limo, but called back over his shoulder, "Take care of yourself, Kat"

And then he was in the car

And then the car wasdown the street

Kat felt Gabrielle coave one to Kat and blew on the contents of the other "Hoas he?" Gabrielle asked

"Different," Kat said, not sipping Not s "He was different"

Chapter 4

Driving toward the big house in Wyndham Woods, Kat couldn’t help but think about the first time she’d ever been there It had been dark, and she had been younger But the biggest difference, it turned out, was that so when you approach theuard asked when Gabrielle pulled up to the gate

"We’re here for the estured at her black dress as if that should be explanation enough Kat thought that perhaps Gabrielle should have chosen a longer dress if she’d truly wanted to send the right uard pointed to his clipboard "Nauests of Hale’s," Gabrielle said

"You’re going to have to be a little more specific," the man told them