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I start the hot water and watch my naked self in the mirror as I wait for it to warm up

Why am I still here? In this apartment? In this town? On land? Is it really possible that the Admiral has no idea where I’m at? I mean, I was careful when I left I poisoned the entire ship They were sick as dogs, even the captain, so ere dead in the water about sixty ht even have killed some of them I have no idea, because our ship has a very nice tender boat One of the nicest in the world, just like the super yacht that carries it And since arage door and lowered the tender out onto the sea, was spent sailing the oceans of the world on these ht to the port all by myself was not at all difficult

We’ve been to Tahiti lots of tinized And welcomed Of course, I’ve never showed up alone before, but this was the day after enuine excite ent took it as nerves fro in order at the dock, paid the fee And took a cab straight to Faa’a International where I boarded a plane to Hawaii I stepped off that plane Harper Tate and boarded the next one as Jillian Stewart And when I landed in Los Angeles I was free

I had one backpack, but it contained a key A key hteenth birthday I have no idea how he got a hold of it, but I didn’t ask Because that was our last day together and I was still in denial that he would leave without me

It’s not like he had a choice They took him But he left behind the key

There was an address and a nuraved on it I took a cab to the UCLA Library, rode the elevator up to the fifth-floor quarter lockers And found my future

Thirty thousand dollars A phone number A phone A flash drive in the shape of a fish And a bottle of Ativan, with a warning on the outside from Nick not to take them unless it was absolutely necessary It took us sixprocess and even now, after being mostly clean for alet overwhel

And then I took my money, called the number, took a cab to the address, paid the rent in full for one year, and sat down in that solitary chair in the living room and waited

It took me weeks to settle in I looked over ined my life if I had stayed one more day Married off to so It was no secret that Nick and I would be separated on our eighteenth birthday, but they kept this little e deal quiet until I was sixteen Then ever so slowly, hints would be dropped Oh, Harper, you will hteen Hints like that was how it started But by the time I was seventeen they were overt Which dress do you like for your wedding, Harper? the shoppers in port would ask me

But I am quiet I don’t interrupt And I pick and chooseuntil I can win the war

Have I won? I have a beautiful assassin in my bed I’ for him He makes me feel safe I want to be next to hiood at picking battles as I am?

There’s a small knock at the door "Harper," Ja OK?" he doesn’t wait for my answer, just turns the handle and opens the door I smile at him I can’t help it, he’s so da his head in the direction of the stea down in the tub

I nod and smile He walks over to the shower knobs and adjusts the temperature, then pulls out the top drawer of my vanity and finds a new shaver I raiseI believed him when he said he’d do it But the fact that he knohere I keep the shavers means he’s checked out"Why were you watching me?" I try not to be accusatory, but that’s how it comes out

He takes my hand and leads me over to the shower He steps into the tub and I follow He stands under the spray of water and closes his eyes as he drags his hands down his face and then he shakes his head, sending drops flying inup his hair in a way that ently maneuvers me in his place I tipdown the back of ers over e ure out who you were I had a good idea I’d seen the pictures they circulated a few months earlier They knew you were here in the LA area, that passport fooled no one once they accessed the security footage So I suppose that’s why they wanted me to take my time off down here in the OC"

"Do they knohere I am exactly?"

"I haven’t reported you," he says siet in a lot of trouble? For keeping me a secret? Won’t the Admiral be pissed when he finds out?"

"Maybe he doesn’t find out?" His handshis pal back up and dipping between ets h lightly "Open your legs, Harper"