“We were on a winning streak, bro,” Davey whines as if the world is ending. “Number one rule in poker is never leave a table on a heater.” He leans his head against the window, thumping it on the glass several times. “What is so damned important that we had to leave?”

“You didn’t have to leave,” I remind him for the third time in the last two minutes. “I told you to stay. By all means, get out of the car and go back.”

“I should do that,” Davey grumbles. “But I can tell by the look on your face this is important, which means you need my help.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“You definitely need my help.”

I give the driver the address and ask him to step on it, promising a hefty tip if he can turn the fifteen-minute drive into five.

Earlier I called Leo to ask him if he knew where Viviana and Amelia might have gone. “What do you mean they went out? I leave for one bloody night, and they pull this shit—are you fucking kidding me?”

“I wish I was.”

After cursing for several minutes straight, he checks the gps tracker on Viv’s phone, which he secretly installed for exactly this type of scenario. “I’ll text you the address. Let me know the minute you find them. I’m canceling my meeting tomorrow—I’m coming home tonight.”

I feel bad for ratting Amelia out to her brother, but she gave me no other option when she refused to answer my phone calls. Ten times—I called her ten fucking times, and on the eleventh, she sent me straight to voicemail, leaving me to wonder God knows what after that short, cryptic conversation. I thought she understood exactly how different her life will be. I thought she would play it safe.

I still can’t believe she did this, or that Viv led her into doing this, knowing the killer targeted Amelia as his next victim. How could they be so stupid?

“So, what’s this all about?” Davey asks as the driver picks up speed.

I don’t have patience for him. I barely have enough patience to get me through this car ride without exploding. “Not now, Davey.”

The needle on the speedometer rises. The driver winds his way through traffic like he’s done this before, the lights and street signs blurring together. I should be relieved, but I’m not. Every second that passes is another I don’t know what’s happening to Amelia. I can’t breathe. I can’t think straight. I want to be there already, to get out of this fucking car.

I picture her face on the night I left, the sweet taste of her still fresh on my lips. What happened between then and now? When did everything go so wrong?

The car finally comes to a stop. I toss several bills to the driver, rushing out onto the pavement. Davey follows close behind. He hasn’t spoken again, which is unusual for him. He’s the guy who gets punched for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. The pause in his normal asinine commentary is a welcome blessing.

Charging inside the building, I fight my way through the crowds as I search for Amelia. This place is busy for three a.m. Most of the tables are still full, the bar surrounded, too. The music, loud.

But no sign of Amelia.

Every corner I check without seeing her face makes my heart race a little more. I’ve never known fear like this. They have to be here. Somewhere. I just need to keep looking.

Then it happens.

In her own hurry, she slams right into me. “Casper?” She backs up. “How did you find me?”

My jaw drops as I travel down the length of her short black dress that just barely covers her ass. The worry I felt only a moment ago vanishes, transforming into anger. Seeing her like this, looking this goddamn beautiful, doesn’t help to distract attention—which is exactly what she should be doing.

“Leo,” I explain, not feeling one shred of guilt about it. “He installed a tracker on Viv’s phone.”

Her eyes tighten at the corners. “That’s an invasion of privacy. He should be ashamed, and so should you for calling him.”

She storms through the exit doors, gone as quickly as she appeared. Stunned, I stand there like an idiot.

“Well I’ll be damned.” Davey’s amused voice carries over my shoulder, suddenly having found it. “This is why we rushed here? For a girl?”

Shooting him a glare, I say, “It’s not what you think.”

“I’d expect something like this from myself, but you?” He lets out whoosh of breath. “Can’t say I don’t get it—she’s like something straight from heaven.”

“And unavailable,” I warn darkly. The last thing I need is for Davey to make a move on Amelia. God knows he’d try.

He ignores that. “Angry at you too, by the sound of it. What did you do to her?”

“None of your damn business.”

He laughs. “That bad, eh?”

That bad? I don’t even know what the fuck I did to her, but I don’t tell Davey that. With his odd sense of humor, he’d just laugh even harder. Instead I suggest he leave. “Sure you don’t want to continue your lucky streak at the casino? It’s not too late to go back.”

“No way,” he says, following me to the exit doors. “I’m way too curious to leave now.”

I can’t catch a break.

Outside I almost collide into Amelia again. She’s heading back in just as I’m coming out, her state even more frazzled than before.

“God, I hate that I’m about to ask you for anything, but I actually do need your help.” She warily glances down the street. “Vivvy is about to leave with these guys. I’ve been trying to stop it all night, but she’s drunk—obnoxiously drunk.”

Her gold-specked eyes are glistening; she’s almost in tears. I didn’t notice when I first saw her. It instantly makes me want to fix this.

“Where is she?”

“Over there.” She points to a group of guys down the sidewalk. “They’re waiting for a car. One of them talked her into going to some hotel party, but I have a bad feeling about him.”

Viviana’s high-pitched voice carries from up ahead. “Get your hands off me!”

“Holy shit—she has a gun!”

The blood drains from my face, and I break out into a run, making my way down the sidewalk in a few long strides. I get there just in time to see Viviana aiming a pistol with shaky, fumbling hands. The guys on the other end of her weapon have their hands held up, all in similar states of frozen horror.

Amelia catches up to me, breathless. We both know how bad this looks. The UK has strict gun laws. I’m pretty sure Viviana doesn’t have a license to own one. If she’s seen out here on the street like this, she’s going to jail.

Davey taps me on the shoulder. “There are two of these beautiful creatures?”

His inappropriate timing knows no limits.

“Give me the gun, Viv,” I say in a controlled, even tone. “You’re not in the right headspace for this.”

“Casper?” She lifts her glassy-eyed gaze. “Where did you come from?”

“I’ll explain later. Just give me the gun, okay?”

To my surprise, she doesn’t argue. She hands it over. I immediately turn the safety on, unload the cartridge, then give the gun to Amelia when I’m done. “Put it in your purse.” She shoves it into her black handbag so fast, you’d think it burned her fingers.

The group surrounding Viviana is made up of three guys, tourists by the looks of them, all shocked after having had a gun pointed at them. “Which one was bothering you, Viv?”

I watch her eyes slice into the tallest one of the bunch, frowning. “Him—Lukas. He grabbed me in a very inappropriate place.” She pronounces every syllable, aware of her condition, but still trying to convey herself clearly.

I reach the guy in seconds, slamming him up against the brick wall of the pub. I hold him there by his collar, and his face turns white. His two friends move to stop me, but Davey blocks their path. “Unless you want us to give the gun back to the crazy girl, let him say what he needs to say.”

I didn’t plan on saying anything.

What I want to do is bloody the sidewalk with this creep. Throw him into one of the gaps this city keeps warning everyone to mind. But I also don’t want to draw any more attention. So far, this side of the street is empty, and there appear to be no other witnesses to Viv’s showdown. The guy I’m holding looks scared shitless as it is. I should just warn him off.

Then I think about what could have happened to Viv if I hadn’t made it in time. I think about the panic I felt on the way here. I think about the worry in Amelia’s face for her sister. This guy—Lukas—and his friends are the source of all that agony. In one swift motion, I pull his shoulders down and knee him in the gut. He doubles over, gasping for breath. Only then do I let go of his collar.

Davey, the idiot, grins from ear to ear. “Looks like he wasn’t in the mood for talking,” he says to the others with a shrug.

They speak in Czech, but I hear, “Stupid fucking Americans,” said very clearly in English. To that, I turn around, scowling. “Take your friend and get the hell out of here.”

“She wasn’t worth it anyway,” Lukas grunts, holding his stomach. His friends help him up, each one grabbing an arm.

Viviana laughs once, and flips Lukas the bird. “You wish, you slimy twat. You’re lucky Casper showed up when he did—I would’ve shot you in the balls for groping me. Remember that while you’re jacking yourself off later by yourself.”

“Vivvy, really?” I groan, exasperated.

Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she shrugs unapologetically. “He deserves it. By the way, Cas, how are you here?”

I wait until the Czech men are far enough down the street before replying. “Your sister called me.”

Amelia crosses her arms over her chest, eyeing me. “I also remember hanging up on you.”

Viviana steps forward, swaying. Davey rushes to her side. He crooks his elbow, offering her support. “Hey there, gorgeous. Care for an arm?”

I roll my eyes.

“I know who you are,” Viviana lilts, wagging her finger. “The infamous Davey, right? Casper told me aaall about you.”

“Good things, I hope?”

She shrugs. “If you consider womanizing and temper tantrums good things.”

Davey shoots me a dark look. “I’ll remember that, friend.” To Viviana, he says, “All lies, I swear.”

She giggles, then abruptly stops, her face turning sickly white. Leaning forward, she empties her stomach all over the sidewalk—and all over Davey’s shoes.

His expression is priceless, a mixture of shock and disgust.

For the first time in what feels like days, I laugh. A full-on belly laugh that makes my whole body shake. Amelia covers her mouth, choking on her own laughter.

To his credit, Davey becomes the perfect gentleman. He holds Viviana’s hair and pats her on the back. “That’s all right, sweetheart. Better to get it out now, then it won’t be so bad tomorrow.”

“Sorry ’bout your shoes.” She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Don’t sweat it.” He’s experienced enough drunken nights to relate.

Amelia steps in, draping her sister’s arm over her shoulders. “Come on, Vivvy. Let’s get out of here.”

Finally, a sensible idea.

I round up two cars, one to take Davey back to the hotel, and another to take the girls back to the townhouse. “I got it from here,” Amelia says as the driver pulls up. “You don’t have to come with us.”

“I’d rather sleep in peace tonight, knowing you both made it home.” Which reminds me—I pull out my cell and text Leo, letting him know I found them.

“This is really not necessary,” Amelia says as I open the car door. “You can leave with your friend.”

“I’m not taking any chances with someone who regularly likes to put herself in dangerous situations.”

“Fine, whatever.”

She gets in after Viv, slamming the door behind her, and I follow suit on the opposite side.

Viv stretches across the back seat, lying her head in Amelia’s lap, propping her legs up on mine. Within seconds, she passes out. She elbows Amelia in her leg, knees me in the stomach, and I’m pretty sure we’re both really fucking uncomfortable, but it makes no difference. The air inside the car is too thick for comfort anyway.

The driver turns the station up, playing some catchy pop song. We ride silently until I can’t take it anymore. I get straight to the point. “Tell me why you’re angry.”

Amelia shifts in her seat, avoiding eye contact. “I’m not angry.”

“Lying again? You’re making it a habit.”

The insult sets her off, just like I’d hoped. “Fine, I’m angry,” she snaps.

Now we’re getting somewhere.

“But if you can’t understand why, I refuse to spell it out for you.”

She won’t spell—dammit if she’s not being difficult.

Clenching my jaw, I let out a long, slow breath, trying to come up with another solution. “Okay, fine. You won’t say why. Then I’ll try guessing.”

I think back to the night I left, when I kissed her on the porch in front of her brother. Did she read too much into it?

“You’re angry with me for leaving, even though I told you I had a good reason.”

She stares out her window, refusing to look at me, smoothing Viv’s hair while she sleeps.

“And my guess is, you’re angry I kissed you, letting you believe it meant something more than it did. I told you before, I don’t do relationships.”

“Ha!” She turns around, her eyes slicing into me like little orbs of fire. “Good thing I didn’t ask you for one. And speaking of leaving, you should try it now since you’re so good at it.”

“Is that what this is all about? Because I left you with your family? Did you think I abandoned you?”

“No calls, no texts, no nothing—you did abandon me.”

Her words barrel into me like a wrecking ball . I never thought she’d see it that way.

I wanted to come back here, to see her face if nothing else. And to make sure she was safe. I came up with all kinds of excuses not to. She needed time to adjust, for one. I needed to shake her from my system, for another. I let Leo’s warnings get to me, for reasons I can’t explain. I should’ve called, but I was afraid just hearing her voice would send me running back. And that’s exactly what happened, isn’t it?

“Mila, I didn’t abandon you,” I say softly. “I planned to come by the house this week, to make sure you were okay. I even sent you the artist tablet—did you get it?”

“Yes, and you can have it back. There was no need to spend all that money just to say goodbye. Next time try using your words.”

“Goodbye?” I reach for her face, tilting her chin, and forcing her to look me in the eye. “That wasn’t a goodbye present. Do you have any idea what I’ve been doing over the past week? I’ve been—”

“Save it for someone who cares. I don’t want to hear it.” She jerks out of my grasp.

Her words and demeanor are pure ice. I ball my hands into fists at my sides. The least she could do is hear me out—and she will hear me out. One way or another.

We spend what’s left of the car ride in silence. Once we arrive at the townhouse, I carry Viv up to her bedroom. “She sleeps in the closet,” Amelia says as I’m about to lay her on the bed.

Sure enough, there’s a mattress in the walk-in closet, the space just big enough for someone to sleep. I wince at the sight of it. This is what happens when your life revolves around a constant state of fear. The life I willingly brought Amelia into. I made a mistake by bringing her here.

I’m not sure why, but I think of the day I found her floating in the ocean by herself, so at peace and relaxed. She didn’t even notice the shark only a few dozen feet away. Angry at the time, I was unable to see the beauty in her ignorance. Unless the Serra killer is caught, she’ll never experience that kind of peace of mind again. Amelia will always Siebe on the lookout for sharks.

I gently lay Viv down on the mattress. She turns onto her side, lightly snoring. Amelia follows me out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

“I had a good reason,” I say the moment she turns around.

She presses her lips together. “Go back to your hotel, Casper.”

“Just listen, okay?” I’m not sure why I’m whispering—Viv is dead to the world. “I’ve been to three goddamn countries in the last week, and I’m jet-lagged beyond recognition. The least you can do is hear me out.”

“You ended up going to the tournament in Monaco? Good for you.” She curls one of her hands, pretending interest in her nails.

“There, and back to the states.”

That catches her attention—she glances up at me, waiting for me to explain.

“After the rendezvous, your dad tracked down your grandmother’s birth records. It wasn’t hard. Her birth family still lives in Maine. I needed to go there, to see for myself what kind of people they were.”

“You went to Maine?” Her eyes widen. “But…why?”

“Because for some fucking insane reason, I care about whether you live or die. It would be nice if you would do the same and stop doing stupid shit all the time.”

Her eyes flash with anger, but just as quickly, her expression softens. “What did you find out?”

I think about my promise to Leo.

“Not much more than you already know. Your great-grandmother was an alcoholic, that was true. Her kids were taken away for neglect, also true. But she got clean in her early forties, joined a church, and became a devout Christian for the remainder of her life. She passed away about a decade ago.”

Her brow knots together as she listens to everything I’m saying. I can see her mind working to make sense of it. “What happened to Gran’s siblings?”

“There’s a brother who passed, and two younger sisters that still live in Maine. I met with the sisters—Jaqueline and Jessa. Nice ladies, but they’re both ancient and one of them can barely walk. Not for a second do I think they have anything to do with the Serra murders.”

“Oh.” Amelia’s gaze drops to the floor. “It sounds like a dead-end.”

“Hey, it’s better than not knowing, right?”

“I suppose so.” She shakes her head, looking lost.

I hate that I can’t give her more, that I don’t have real answers for her, and that the few bits of information I did uncover might lead to something more devastating.

She sighs. “I don’t understand, Casper. If you cared enough to go to those lengths, why did you act like I was bothering you when I called for help?”

“You thought I was annoyed that you called me?”

“It definitely came off that way.”

So that’s why she was angry. “I wasn’t annoyed that you called. I was furious with you for going out in the first place.”

She crosses her arms over her chest, lifting her chin defensively. “That makes no sense coming from the same person who talks about living fearlessly.”

“Reckless and fearless are two different things.”

“Sorry, but I don’t consider going out for a girls’ night with my sister reckless. People our age should be allowed to go out and have fun.”

“Most people your age aren’t being stalked by vicious killers.”

Color rises in her cheeks. “Do you think we should stay indoors twenty-four seven, locked away from the rest of the world?”

“You know damn well you could’ve asked your brother to take you, but you waited until he was conveniently out of town. My guess is that was Viv’s doing; she’s had him looking over her shoulder, watching her every move for years.”

She doesn’t say anything, leading me to believe I’m right.

“You can’t afford to make mistakes like tonight, not if you want to stay alive. Viv needs to deal with the extra safety precautions, and so do you.”

“Deal with it? Are you kidding me? Maybe I don’t want to just deal with it.” She turns away, storming off down the hall to her bedroom.

“Hey—this conversation isn’t over.” I catch up to her in two strides, grabbing her by the arm. She looks down at my hand, and I immediately loosen my grip. “You’re being unreasonable. This isn’t about some trivial lapse of judgment—this is your life.”

“Exactly. My life.” She yanks away from me. “Sleep here, I don’t care. But I’m done talking.” Disappearing into her bedroom, she slams the door in my face.

I hear the lock click like a final parting shot.