Saturday. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Georgia.

Vara tapped her phone screen, but the device was sluggish. She needed to switch over to a new cell on an American network. It just hadn’t been a priority. Now it seemed silly that she hadn’t taken care of that already.

Alec hauled himself out of the seat in the row ahead of her and wrangled their bags out of the overhead bins. They’d agreed that remaining in Miami seemed like a bad idea. Somehow they’d gotten home, packed and boarded the plane in an hour and a half. She didn’t know where they were headed now or what Alec’s plan was, but she was glad to be in another city.

She pressed her phone to her ear and followed Alec down the aisle off the plane.

Chad’s phone rang. And rang. His voicemail picked up.

Vara ended the call. She wasn’t leaving him another message, not when she had nothing worthwhile to say.

Once they were off the plane Alec offered her his hand.

“What’s our plan now?” It was strange to ask someone else that question. For the last few years she was the one making all the arrangements.

“We’ll get a taxi to our safe house. Aegis Group bought a place here since we travel through the city so much. My boss and a few others are here for the night, so I figured this was as good a place as any to bunk down for the night.” He glanced down at her. “How’s the leg?”

“Fine. It’s really a scratch. Nothing else.”

“You tried Chad?”

“Yes. Three times. Still no answer.” She didn’t like the unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that Chad had used and discarded her. Now he was leaving her to handle this mess?

“What about the others?”

“I got ahold of one of the brothers. All three guys are cooling their heels at a lake house somewhere. Chad told them to lie low when the CIA released them.” The reason it had take Vara days to get ahold of her still living team was because the CIA had them. Chad hadn’t even told the guys why and neither could Vara.

“What about Wyatt’s family?”

“I left a message for his mom, but she’s not answering. If I had to guess? Wyatt’s already talked to her, told her I’m trouble.”

Alec settled his hand on her back for a moment.

“None of this is a coincidence, you know?” She glanced up at Alec. “They’re after me.”

“You mean the same guy who was trying to kill me half a world away showing up on our vacation isn’t normal?” He didn’t even try for a light tone.

Alec steered her out to the curb and hailed them a taxi.

Neither spoke more than pleasantries or anything that wasn’t mundane during the drive to a gated community where even the individual homes had fences. Their driver pulled up to one of those and Alec opted for them to get out at the street.

He walked her in through a smaller gate using a code. It was dark and she couldn’t make out much of the house except that it was large and impressive.

This whole scenario was so over her head. Vara wasn’t a real spy. She didn’t do covert shit. All she did was get people to talk to her. Trust her. Sure, her gig in Damascus had been on the dangerous side, but not in a long time.

She didn’t know what to do.

But Alec did.

He hadn’t hesitated since the moment that first shot had fired.

Alec led her up the walk to the front door. They didn’t get within a few feet of it before it was whisked open and a black man with a smile that threatened to split his face barred their path.

“Luke.” Alec let go of Vara and reached out to slap palms with the other man.

“I was surprised to hear you were joining us.” Luke’s gaze was on hers, warm and inquisitive.

“Meet Vara Price.”

“I know you.” Luke wagged is finger at her.

“Maybe.” Alec ushered Vara inside and locked the door.

“I don’t think I know you,” she said slowly.

“Well, come in here and let’s get acquainted.”

“Where’s Zain and your wife?” Alec tugged Vara closer to his side.

“In here.” Luke’s grin widened, if that was possible.

“This is your safe house?” Vara glanced around the entry with its hardwood floors, chandelier and curving staircase to the second floor.

“Most of our clients have a lot of money. We can’t roll up to just any old hotel,” Alec said.

“I see.”

Luke led them into the heart of the house, an open concept kitchen, dining and living area. A graceful woman with tanned skin and dark hair sat at the table with yet another muscular, attractive man. It wasn’t until Vara was halfway across the room that she realized only one of the man’s hands was flesh and bone. The other was some kind of next level prosthetic complete with lights and fingers typing in time.

“Right on time,” the man with the flashy arm said.

“Vara, this is my boss, Zain Lloyd. He’s over our Seattle office. You met Luke, and this is his better half, Abigail. They are a core part of our operations team.” Alec addressed each of his team in turn.

“Nice to meet you all,” Vara mumbled to each with a quick handshake.

“First thing, Jules was reunited with her family two days ago.” Zain’s gaze focused in on Alec. “Joe wants to schedule a call to thank you personally.”

“That’s not necessary.” Alec held up his hand.

“The two of you have a US Senator who feels indebted to both of you. Make time for a phone call.”

Should she salute Zain and give him a hearty, yes, sir? What was with her?

“Sit. Both of you.” Abigail slid off her chair and stood. “Can I get you something to drink? Or eat? We have a lot to cover and not many answers.”

“Food would be good. We haven’t eaten since lunch.” Alec gave her hand a squeeze.

“Babe, why don’t you grab us all a beer?” Luke suggested.

“I’ll give you a hand.” Vara was itching for something to do. Something normal.

She followed Abigail into the kitchen. It had the same shape as her little one back in Damascus, but on a far larger and more lavish scale.

“Hey?” Abigail placed her hand on Vara’s arm, her voice pitched low. “You holding up okay?”

“Yes,” Vara said without missing a beat.

Abigail just stared at her. Something about her eyes, the way she stared at Vara, gave her the sense that Abigail had been where she was at.

“Okay, not really.” Vara cringed.

Abigail motioned her deeper into the kitchen where they had a little bit of privacy.

Vara leaned against the counter and slid her hands into the pockets of her shorts. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been shot at, but for some reason I’m totally shook. All I’ve done is go where Alec tells me, sit where he tells me, say what he tells me—and that’s not me.”

“It’s different when they’re aiming for you. When it feels personal,” Abigail said softly.

“Yeah. But is it really?”

“I’ve worked in intelligence for most of my life. Since I was a teenager.” Abigail mirrored Vara’s pose leaning against the island. She cut a prettier picture in slacks and a blouse. “Reviewing what Alec told us and what I could put together with my contacts? It sounds like you got a raw deal. I know a lot about raw deals and how tough it can be to rebound from them. And it’s worse when the person doing the shooting is someone you worked with.”

“Wyatt didn’t shoot at me though.”

“He might have. You don’t know that.”

“Babe? You need a hand?” Luke called out.

“Do I ever?” Abigail winked at Vara.

“Just checking.”

“Let’s get you something to eat and we’ll talk. If you need an ear not attached to a man-brain that needs to fix everything, I’d be happy to listen. And I’ve probably got the security clearance to hear it.”

They shared a chuckle at that.

Abigail handed Vara plates. They dished out some lasagna from a large pan, warmed it up and got a round of beers for everyone. By the time they rejoined the guys at the table Vara had found her balance and her stomach was growling. It helped a little to hear that her reaction to the day’s events wasn’t as unusual as she’d feared.

“Okay.” Zain leaned back in his chair and glanced over them. “We’ve been monitoring the situation in Syria around Jules’ rescue. Abigail, this is all your intel. Want to share?”

“Sure.” Abigail set her beer down and focused her attention on Vara. “Rafat Nour’s operation has been overtaken by Russian mob boss, Kolya Sokolov. It appears Rafat and Kolya had some dealings in the past, but the takeover was more seizing the moment. Most importantly we know his two enforcers, Misha and Ivan, were who you and Alec saw at the hack site in Damascus.”

“These two.” Luke slid a tablet to the middle of the table.

“They’re important because the day after you two arrived in Miami, guess who entered the country?” Abigail swiped her finger across the screen.

Vara dropped her fork and snatched the tablet. She zoomed in on the third man in the picture.

“Wyatt, was with them when they entered the US by way of the Miami airport,” Abigail said.

“So he really is here? Do we think he’s being forced or is he working with them willingly?” Vara wanted to believe in Wyatt, but he’d always had an eye on profits.

“We don’t honestly know, but if you’ll swipe again?” Abigail gestured at the tablet.

Vara was half afraid to do that, but she did as directed. A mug shot of Misha stared back at her.

“This afternoon, as you know, Misha was taken into custody,” Abigail said.

Zain broke in, “We’ve reached out to the Miami-Dade PD to recommend they keep Misha in solitary. The enforcers on his level rarely last long in prison.”

“Police found the van and your bag a few blocks from the incident wiped clean. We got a few pictures of the contents so you can see if anything is missing?” Abigail presented her phone, and they swiped through a few pictures.

“No, nothing is gone.” Vara glanced up at Abigail. “They thought I still had the package. That’s why this happened.”

“That’s as good a guess as any,” Zain agreed.

“Basically, we know nothing.” Vara cradled her head in her hands. “I mean, we knew as soon as we saw Misha that it had to go back to Kolya, which meant it’s all connected to what I did for the CIA, right?”

“True, I just verified what I could. Misha works for Kolya, and that alone tells us a lot.” Abigail leaned on the table. “Kolya is former KGB. He runs his network like a private military. And we know he works with the Russian government.”

“What concerns me in all of this is how the CIA just cut you loose,” Luke said slowly.

“They didn’t exactly cut me lose.” Vara winced and glanced at Alec.

“They cut you lose,” Abigail said.

“If the CIA wanted to keep you, you’d never have gotten out of the airport in Cairo. They let you go.” Luke’s voice was warm, comforting. It didn’t change the harshness of his words.

“Luke’s right.” Zain closed his laptop. “It appears that the CIA wanted Vara to draw these guys out for whatever reason. What they’re going to do about that, we don’t know.”

“Zain and I both have contacts in the CIA we’re going to reach out to tomorrow.” Abigail flicked her fingers at Zain.

Luke set his beer down. “I’m guessing the CIA needed to let someone take the fall for how they’re getting this intel. They don’t want anyone to know they’ve had an inside man. They set you up as the thief, then get to sit back while the bad guys rush to shut you up.”

“You’re making it sound like the CIA wanted to get Vara killed.” Alec’s hand closed over her knee.

Vara swallowed. After her last meeting with Chad that wouldn’t surprise her.

“I think we can fix this. There is still a way we can twist this situation to draw Kolya out in a way that will keep Vara safe and help the CIA get a win,” Zain said.

“Why would you help me?” Vara frowned.

Zain stared at her, his features hard. “You helped us. You got our man and our asset out. We don’t forget things like that..”

“It’s also good business,” Abigail said. “We help the CIA out, we become more trustworthy, they give us more business.”

Vara nodded. Business she understood.

Abigail continued, her hands waving s she spoke. “We do a lot of work in the Middle East. What happened to you shouldn’t be acceptable. The people who made the choice to use you are putting lives at risk. What if today had gone different? What if a bystander was killed? What if one of those soldiers who came to your aid were killed? Actions have consequences.”

Zain’s phone rang, or more accurately the Star Wars theme began to blare.

“That’s my cue. I’ll have an update in the morning.” He scooped up his laptop, the tablet and jammed the phone between his head and shoulder muttering, “Hey, honey,” as he made a hasty exit.

“His wife is a saint.” Luke shook his head.

Abigail gave her husband an amused stare and received a comical eyebrow waggle in return.

Vara glanced away, feeling as though she were intruding on a private moment. Alec’s fingers stroked her knee, ever the comforting presence at her side through this.

“I think we’re going to get some sleep,” Alec said. He laced his fingers with hers. “It’s been a long day and we’ve got a lot to figure out tomorrow.”

She glanced at him, or meant to. Instead she found herself staring into the dark depths of his eyes. There was a promise in there she didn’t understand, an offer for something she hadn’t been aware that she wanted before now.

But what was the cost? He already had a hold on her heart. What more could she give him?

SATURDAY. AEGIS GROUP Safe House, Atlanta, Georgia.

Alec didn’t like how quiet Vara had been while they tidied up from dinner. With the others around he wasn’t going to press her to talk to him. She’d drawn into herself even more and he didn’t know how to get through to her. It felt as though ever since they’d gotten to Florida she’d drawn farther and farther away from him. He was going out of his fucking mind.

He grabbed their bags and led the way up the stairs to the tune of yet more silence. At least once they were alone he could tease some conversation out of her. Their time was literally ticking down. Tomorrow he was flying to Seattle. He needed her to agree to go with him. She had to stay with him.

Alec picked one of the remaining rooms at random and opened the door for Vara.

The room was large and comfortable with two queen beds and an attached bathroom. It was one of the suites that would be earmarked for the team’s use on an op, saving the larger, more luxurious rooms for clients. He set their things on top of the dresser and turned to watch Vara standing at the window staring into the back yard.

He didn’t deserve the chance he was getting. That didn’t change the fact that he wanted more. Everything Vara could give him.

Alec crossed the room to stand behind her. Without urging she leaned back against him and sighed. That was progress. He wrapped his arms around her and bent his head, inhaling the scent of sun, sand and sunscreen from the day.

“What the hell happened?” she whispered.

“Bad people doing bad things.”

“Wyatt was there today, wasn’t he? You think he was the driver or the snatcher?”

“No clue.”

Vara wiggled around until she faced him. Her arms looped over his shoulders and she squeezed him. He tightened his grip to the point he was a little worried about crushing her, but she didn’t protest. She just kept holding on.

“Talk to me?” he whispered.

She buried her face in his shirt and her nails dug into his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. If she wasn’t able to trust him, it was his fault. He’d broken what they had. Some things couldn’t be fixed.

“I’m so mad at myself.” Her voice was partially muffled by his shirt.

“Mad?”

“Yes.” She let go of him and wiped a hand over her face. “I should have reacted better today. Instead, I got scared, I froze up. If it weren’t for you I’d... I don’t know. But today sucked.”

Alec blinked at her, rolling those words around.

Scared? Frozen?

“Hey. Hey, look at me?” He cupped her face and bent his head. “That’s bullshit. Maybe you were a little stunned when we hit the ground, but you’re the one who figured out how to get us moving. You didn’t freeze. And babe, when I heard those gunshots I was scared, too. You were brave. You hear me?”

Vara tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her.

“You aren’t Rambo Barbie, okay? You’re human and we had a surprise attack. You got hurt. No one died. The bad guys didn’t get what they wanted.” He swallowed, trying to think of how to get through to her. “You know how many bad asses we’ve had to rescue? A lot. One of our guys has a wife. She used to be an undercover CIA agent. Bad ass to the nth degree. And she was scared when people came after her, too.”

“Yeah, but—”

“You know how scared I was today?”

She blinked at him, lips parted, no words escaping her lips.

“Babe, when I realized you were hurt, it terrified me.” He tucked an errant tendril of hair behind her ear. “The more we find out, the more I want to take you with me and keep you somewhere I can protect you. You’d probably kick my ass for that, wouldn’t you?”

That earned him a chuckle from her.

“I’m proud of how badass you are. You’ve taken everything thrown at you the last two weeks and you just keep going.” He cupped her shoulders. “Today sucked, but you aren’t in this alone. I’m here.”

She swayed toward him, some of the stress easing from her features. She didn’t say anything, just left him teetering on the edge.

He bent his head and brushed his lips over hers.

“Why don’t we get a shower and sleep? You’ll feel better about everything in the morning.” And maybe he’d come up with a way of convincing her to stick with him.

“Okay,” she mumbled.

“Go on. I’ll bring your stuff to you.” He patted her bottom then gave her a little push toward the bathroom.

One reason he didn’t mind taking a bunkroom in this house was due to the size of the bathroom. It was massive in every meaning of the word.

Alec watched Vara until she stepped out of sight, the tightness in his chest intensifying as he remembered another time she’d walked away from him. If he could go back and tell his younger self to do one thing differently, it would be to end things with Vara on better terms. Or not at all. Hell, he should have just married her.

He opened their small suitcases and grabbed the bag Vara had dumped their shower things into during their rush to leave. For good measure he grabbed the bag of toiletries. Some clean boxers for him, panties for her and because he was feeling a certain way, he grabbed one of his older shirts for her to sleep in.

If his roommates saw half the shit he was doing, they’d never let him live it down. But then again, if he had Vara with him, wouldn’t it be worth it?

Luke got shit all the time for being sweet on his wife all the damn time.

Zain’s wife was the reason the company’s plans had changed, and they’d opted to relocate to Seattle.

The right woman was worth the trouble.

He carried their things into the bathroom. The shower was already sending out billows of steam. Vara’s body was a shadow of movement behind the glass.

Could he win her over? Was there hope?

Alec stripped, tossing his clothes into a pile with hers, and carried the shower things into the room-sized-stall with him. Vara turned toward him, swiping water and hair out of her face. Something about the sad curve of her mouth tugged at him. He set the bag on the bench just in time for her to walk straight into his chest.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what?”

“For being here. For helping me.”

“Oh, babe, you should know by now I’m stuck on you. I don’t care what happens, I just want to be around you.” He was still teetering on that edge.

Maybe he had to go all the way over for her to believe him?

If he went all in, if he were totally honest with her, did he really think she’d take him seriously? Or would she run?

He’d never know if he didn’t try.

“Vara?” Alec leaned back and looked down at her.

“Hm?” She tipped her chin up, her hands sliding over his sides.

I love you.

“You mean the world to me.” That was a safer thing for him to say. Less scary. “I want you to come to Seattle with me tomorrow. One week wasn’t enough. And if I’m being honest, I don’t want to trust anyone else with your safety.”

Vara’s mouth opened and closed.

“If you’re going to say no, sleep on it?” He slid his hand through her hair. Hearing no might just break him. And then he’d do something really stupid, like follow her. Quit his job. Or kidnap her.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” She jabbed him in the chest, but her mouth curved into a smile.

It was one of the most beautiful smiles he’d ever seen.

She wasn’t saying no.

The worry lines were gone.

“Even if I think it’s the best option?” The tenseness between his shoulders eased.

“At least ask me about it.” She placed her palms on his chest and pushed. Not hard. She didn’t even rock him back on his heels. Just a firm nudge. Because Vara didn’t take kindly to orders from anyone. He knew his girl.

“I did. I asked you to sleep on it.” He grinned back at her, practically giddy.

“Okay. Fine. I’ll tell you my decision in the morning.” Vara took a step back into the spray of water and smirked at him. At least the shell-shocked state was gone.

God damn she was sexy standing there with the water stroking down her flesh. Her nipples were turning into tight peaks as he watched her sluice soap over herself.

Alec reached down and stroked his cock, admiring the show she probably didn’t even realize she was putting on for him.

His Vara had scars, just like him. Some they could see, others were deeper. But he loved her all the same.

“I’ve got a couple hours to convince you coming to Seattle with me is a good idea,” he said after a few moments of her show.

“However do you plan on doing that?” She turned toward him, the corner of her mouth quirked up.

“Oh, I can think of one way.” He stalked toward her.

Vara’s back hit the tile and her hands came up. The light was back in her eyes. He caged her against the wall, a hand on either side of her shoulders, and leaned in.

Vara’s chuckle turned into a laugh. Her smile eased the last bit of anxiety coiled tight in his chest. She was playing with him. She knew what she did to him and she enjoyed it.

Tomorrow she was going to Seattle with him.

She hadn’t said so, but she was direct enough that she wouldn’t lead him on. If her plans involved going somewhere else, she’d tell him. Because that was Vara. No games. Just honesty.

“What way is that, hm?” She dragged a nail down his chest.

He leaned into her until her breasts slid against him with each breath she took. Her brown eyes were so dark, the pupils so large that her eyes were nearly black with lust.

Alec bent his head until their noses bumped. “Do you want me to tell you? Or should I show you?”

She bit her bottom lip as though trying to contain the grin spreading across her face.

They really were good together.

He reached up and took the mass of wet hair in hand, giving it just enough of a twist to elicit a sigh from Vara and send her eyelids to fluttering downward. He bent and took her mouth, thrusting his tongue past her lips. Her hands clenched his shoulders, and she pulled herself higher, getting closer to him.

So damn good.

He let his other hand slid down her chest, toying with her nipples until she whimpered and her nails bit down on his skin. Only then did he let his touch wander lower, between their legs to stroke her folds.

“Alec,” she said his name like a plea, her lips moving against his.

“What?” He kissed the corner of her mouth.

“I need you,” she whispered.

“I need you, too.” He took her hand and guided it to his cock.

She fisted his stiff flesh and stroked him, root to tip.

“I need you now,” she said with an edge in her voice.

Yeah, he always needed her.

Alec backed up and she let him go. He reached into the shower things and found the condoms. They’d realized early on in their condo stay that it paid to have a stash in each room. Man was he grateful for that foresight right about now.

He ripped the condom open and rolled the protection on, all the while watching Vara. She tracked his hands, her gaze locked on his hands.

Fuck, if she kept looking at him like that, like he was the one thing in this world she wanted, he was going to lose it.

“Turn around,” he said.

That got Vara’s attention.

Her gaze jumped to his face.

For a moment they stared at each other, then her tongue darted out, licking her lips. Then she pushed off the tile, swaying just a bit on her feet, and pivoted.

God damn she had the best ass he’d ever seen. High. Tight. Yeah, she’d complained about her so-called wide hips or whatever, but all he saw was perfection.

Alec closed the distance between them and gathered her hair. He bent and pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck. Her head dropped forward, and she pushed her hips back, cradling his cock in her crease. He closed her eyes and focused on the feel of her warmth, how she wiggled her ass just a bit.

Yeah, he could do this for the rest of his life and be a happy man.

He eased back and grasped his cock, guiding it between her legs. She widened her stance and peered over her shoulder at him.

Alec leaned forward and their bodies joined. He felt the ripple go through Vara, a full body shudder accompanied by a groan. He wrapped his arm around her waist, driving deeper into her. Her pussy hugged him tight enough his vision blurred.

Not yet.

He bent his head and kissed her shoulder and across her back.

Vara slapped her hands on the wall and her spine dipped, forcing her hips back farther.

“God damn,” he groaned.

Alec gripped her hips in both hands. He squeezed his eyes shut and eased away from her, her pussy stroking his length. Right when he might slip from her slick channel, he rocked forward. Vara moaned. Her ass cradled his hips. Again, he withdrew and thrust to the tune of her pleasure, losing himself in the feel of her body and praying she felt even half of what he felt for her.

“Alec,” she whimpered.

“Yeah?” He paused, fully seated within her.

She was the one who shifted, straightening just a bit, easing him out of her, only this time her fingers trailed over his balls and down his shaft.

“Fuck,” he grit out.

Two could do this.

He reached around and cupped her mound. When he thrust, he slid his fingers over the stiff nub of her clit.

“Oh—yes,” she hissed.

“Like that, huh?”

“Alec...”

Her breath caught on the next thrust and once more her whole body seemed to vibrate. He felt her muscles tense, her pussy tightening around him. He closed his eyes and thrust, toying with her clit. Her cries rose.

All at once the tension inside him burst. His release was a sweet wave of pleasure, all because of the woman in his arms. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, arms wrapped around her, and vowed once more that he would do whatever it took to win Vara’s heart. Because she’d already taken his.

SATURDAY. MIAMI, FLORIDA.

Wyatt checked the parking lot. Again.

Still no unusual activity.

They’d found a pay by the hour motel and checked in. The aim was to regroup, make some calls and figure out where the hell they were going next.

Vara didn’t have the package.

They’d searched the condo and rental car a few times through the week. The only place it could have been was Vara’s tote bag, and all that had yielded was sand, sunscreen and granola bar wrappers.

This job was going to hell fast.

He glanced over his shoulder at Ivan who’d been glued to his phone for hours.

If Wyatt wasn’t careful, he’d end up a casualty in this drama, and if he died his mother and sisters would suffer. He didn’t know what the damn package was, and he didn’t care. Nothing was more important than his family’s wellbeing. Whatever secured that was Wyatt’s priority.

Which was why his path was subject to Kolya’s whim. Wyatt couldn’t risk having a mob boss for an enemy. Not with his family vulnerable.

“Misha is taken care of,” Ivan said.

“Taken care of? What?” Wyatt turned, unsure he’d heard Ivan properly.

“He’s dead.” Ivan slid his phone into his jacket.

“How’d you manage that?”

“You don’t need to know.” Ivan pushed to his feet and stretched. “The target is in Atlanta. We’re heading to Seattle. Come on.”

Shit.

Did Wyatt want to know how they’d pulled off a mob hit inside a jail? Were these the men he wanted as an enemy?

He was going to have to be very careful.

Ivan hefted his bag over his shoulder and opened the door.

Wyatt didn’t bother asking questions. He grabbed his gear and headed out to the sedan. Only once Ivan was on the road did Wyatt speak.

“What are we doing in Seattle if she’s in Atlanta? What’s our orders?”

“Kill Vara Price. We have a man in Atlanta. He might get the job done for us, but I don’t want to count on him.”

Would any god listen to Wyatt’s silent prayer? He didn’t think asking for Vara’s death would be received kindly.

One way or another, she was going to die.