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*
It happened in an oceanfront, dog-friendly restaurant outside of Monterey.
The pugs were sprawled beneath the table, exhausted after a morning on the beach, while Felicity picked at a fish taco and watched the waves roll toward shore. The man at the neighboring table finished his meal, tossed a few bills beside his plate, and left behind a folded newspaper.
What caught her attention was a single word. The name seemed to leap from the page and every muscle in her body went rigid.
LIMINOV
Heart pounding, she leaned over, grabbed the newspaper, and unfolded it with trembling fingers.
The next line came into view.
ASSASSIN FOUND DEAD
She scanned the article, hands trembling, dread thundering through her veins. A neighbor’s complaint about a foul smell led to the discovery of a body. A man with ties to organized crime. Self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Evidence recovered from his computers and phones. Documents found in his apartment. More than enough proof for the FBI to declare him responsible for Vasily Liminov’s death.
Her lungs burned.
Not Ronan.
And no mention of him.
Relief hit so hard she dropped the newspaper.
She shut her eyes and drew in a slow breath, trying to steady the frantic pounding of her heart.
“You okay, ma’am?”
Her eyes flew open.
The server hovered beside the table, concern etched across her face.
“Yes.” The word emerged as a croak. Felicity cleared her throat. “I’m good. Just … tired.”
The woman glanced at the newspaper now half-covering her plate. “Can I remove that?”
“Yes.” Felicity blew out a breath. “Yes. I’m done.”
40
Lone star
Arizona brought a sense of peace she could never remember feeling before. In the endless desert, surrounded by nothing but sky, road, and her girls, she discovered the quiet she’d been searching for all her life.
It was there that September seventeenth found her.
Ronan’s birthday.
And hers.
She had never told him that.
He remained front and center of her thoughts throughout the day.
What was he doing right now? How far had he gotten with the renovation on Gertrude? Did he miss her?
