Staring at the roses, I plucked the photo of Kelly’s family off the table.

Was it Madam or Nora who was standing in my way? I couldn’t decide. All I knew was that my contract with Kelly was about to expire and Sylvia Neil was still M.I.A.

That left me with no choice but to focus on my own family dilemma as I prepared to live a life without Kelly in it.

I hated having to accept that we were down to our last few hours. But I couldn’t shake the mystery surrounding Dad. I hadn’t seen him, making me question if he was still alive. Marvin and Mom were coming after my inheritance and I needed to know if Sylvia was the one who gave Mom the letter warning her that dangers were coming my way.

I grinded my teeth, wanting so badly to prove Kelly wrong.

Sylvia was the cause of our anguish. Always had been.

From her deception into convincing Kelly to go after Nash, to when she was attacking Alex. It never stopped. Never would until we no longer gave her an ear to whisper into.

Kelly knew more about what was going on than he was willing to say. That, too, kept my stomach unsettled. He had too many secrets for me to know the difference between what was black and what was white.

I didn’t have anywhere to go, but I knew I couldn’t stay in my apartment without going insane.

I needed to do something. But what?

Diving inside my clutch, I flipped Drake’s card between my knuckles.

Debating whether or not I should call him, I was still curious to hear what he knew and how he could help. He’d been too secretive and I hadn’t seen him since the gala, but something told me that Giselle had shared how Kelly and I met.

I turned around and glanced to the clock on the wall.

My insides bobbed like an empty bottle drifting out at sea. I was helpless, feeling vulnerable now that I was without a gun for protection. If that story of Madam’s didn’t work, Sylvia would get away, run with the money I’d handed her, and maybe still try to hunt me down for sport.

Feeling anxious, I put in a request for a driver to pick me up. Several minutes later, I was packed and out on the street finding Lucky’s car waiting. Opening the back door, I said, “I was hoping it would be you.”

“And I knew it would be you.” His dark complexion shined in the light. He must have seen my face go pale with worry because he quickly added, “No one else is ever picked up at this spot.”

The corners of my lips tugged as I buckled my belt.

He turned the wheels to the road. “I assume you’re making progress with your family.”

I looked away. “You could say that.”

“That is also how I knew it was you.” He nodded with a friendly grin.

“Have you decided if you’ll attend Tonya’s funeral?” I asked. His eyes drooped. Not a word was said. He turned the music down, and I knew that something serious was on his mind. “What is it?”

“You have heard where the police found her body, yeah?”

My mind raced to Echo. I remembered the aroma, the lure, and how that reporter Rob Jones made sure Kelly and I knew that he was aware of us being there. I nodded, afraid of what Lucky was going to say next.

“Do you remember when I took you there?”

“Why are you asking?” My brow furrowed as a pang of regret and fear stitched my side.

“I cannot go there without thinking of her.” His eyes glossed over.

“Lucky, when was the last time you took a girl there?”

He shook his head.

“Was it recently?” My chest heaved with mild panic.

Minutes passed before he somberly mentioned, “I will be attending her funeral.”

Lucky couldn’t say Tonya’s name, and I understood why. I was curious to know more about who he was taking to Echo now. I wanted him to point me in the direction of his clients. But it was too late. When we arrived at my parents’ neighborhood, I was surprised to see Mom pushing her bike alongside the road. “Stop. Stop. Stop.” I tapped Lucky’s shoulder with my hand.

He glanced back, slowing the car to a stop.

“That’s my mother. You can drop me here.”

“Shall I wait for you?”

I shook my head and said, “Maybe I’ll see you at the funeral.”

A sad expression pulled his face down.

Stepping out beneath the partly cloudy sky, I tossed my bag over my shoulder and caught Mom entering the dilapidated laundry mat next to the liquor store. Hurrying inside, Mom’s eyes were full of surprise.

Mom kept walking.

“I’m alone, Mom.” Her eyes fixed on mine and a part of me wished she would comment on my intelligence or beauty—anything to make me believe she cared. She remained mute. “It’s not an accident that I’m here.”

“No, I didn’t think it was.” Her judgmental eyes drifted down my front before sorting through her dirty clothes. “If you’re here to fight, I’m not in the mood.”

I pursed my lips, holding back the urge to roll my eyes. “Mom, I need to ask you about the people you’ve been seeing outside the house.”

She continued tossing her clothes into the washer, leaving me to hope that she would describe Sylvia as the person she’d been seeing.

“Can you tell me what they look like?”

“A man. Dark tussled hair. Broad shoulders.” She flicked her eyes in my direction. “At least, he’s the only one brave enough to show me his face.”

Was she describing Drake Goodman? Or Rob Jones? Or maybe I just wanted to place them here, making my answers easier. “When did you see them last?”

“Kendra,” she snapped. “It hasn’t stopped. Not since you decided to get involved with that Kelly Black character. Every day I’m being spied on.”

“I’m sorry.” My voice was barely a whisper.

“Really?” She angrily tossed more clothes into the washer. “And yet you’re still seeing the man.”

I couldn’t tell her that it might be over. That even if I didn’t leave him now, I’d soon be forced to move on. “What do you want me to do?”

“Come home. Be with your family.” She turned her round white eyes on me. “Surround yourself with the people you should be trusting.”

“Mom, you’re suing me.” I swallowed back the tears. “Did you forget?”

She held my stare for long enough to stop time. Then she turned her attention back to her clothes hamper. “I had no choice.”

Taking a step closer, I asked, “Mom, who sent you the letter telling you to come after the inheritance?”

She refused to look.

“Did it have a return address?”

Mom’s fingers fiddled with a set of shirt buttons. It was a man’s shirt, but much too small for it to be Dad’s.

“Do you still have the envelope it came in?”

“You took the letter,” she mumbled under her breath.

“But not the envelope.”

“It’s gone, Kendra.” She turned to face me. “Why are you asking? Is it because you’re in danger like the letter said?”

I tried my best to hide the fear of death closing in on me, but at this point it was damn near impossible. “Because I need to know why someone wanted you to know about it now.”

Mom brushed past me and headed to the vending machine. I watched as she inserted a dollar bill, quickly choosing a canned drink. When it popped out the bottom, the sight of the seltzer instantly reminded me of Kelly.

I was quick to blame Madam for what my life had become. I was convinced she’d set this up from the very beginning—getting my face printed in various news publications, knowing exactly how long she needed to put her plan in place for my contract with Kelly to expire. We were all pawns, given just enough to not ask the important questions until it was too late. But did Sylvia really give Mom this letter, or was Kelly on to something?

I leaned against the wall, crossing my legs.

“Here’s the truth, Kendra.” Mom picked up a local paper and read about Tonya’s funeral and how the police had yet to make an arrest. “Every night I wake up wondering if you’re still alive.”

A stone lodged in my throat as I stared into Mom’s eyes—the same eyes I sometimes could see in my own reflection. I knew where her fears stemmed from, and I couldn’t keep myself from wondering why Sylvia would write about Kelly’s supposed guilt if, in the end, she wanted Kelly to work with her.

“I’m worried about you, baby.” It was the most sincere look I had seen on her face since I was a little girl. “I never wanted it to come to this, but I won’t stop it, either.”

“Why, Mom?”

“It’s better to have the inheritance than to let it go to waste if something does happen to you.”

My phone dinged with a text message just as I was on the verge of crying. Digging it out of my jeans pocket, I swiped it alive and read the message from Madam.

Notice: Your time to bring me Sylvia is about to expire. Stay vigilant. Stay strong.

“Is that your pimp?”

I closed my eyes and tucked my phone away. Mom’s words didn’t offend me, only hurt.

“Why do you keep coming back, Kendra?”

“I need to make things right with Dad.” It was the honest truth. “Mom, I need to see him.”

Mom remained skeptical.

“Just one hour,” I pleaded my case. “Just to know that he’s alive.”

She looked me straight in the eye and nodded. “Come by this evening. It’s when he’s at his best.”