PROLOGUE
The cityusually felt alive at night.
Naomi King loved that about New York—the bustling traffic, the glow of storefronts open late, and the comforting sense that even when you were alone, you weren’t really alone at all.
Tonight, all the activity felt muted—but she had no idea why. Maybe it was the rain or the unseasonable chill in the air. Maybe it was the hour.
She’d worked later than she’d planned.
She adjusted her coat as she walked, heels clicking against the sidewalk, her breath fogging faintly in the cold air.
Her meeting with Gio had gone better than she’d expected.
Much better.
She hadn’t been sure who to talk to about her discovery that fraud was taking place at the finance firm where they worked. But if she couldn’t trust the man she was dating, then who could she trust?
Gio had been equally as surprised—and concerned—when he saw the proof. Since he held a higher position at the company, he was better poised to take action with the information.
Going to him had been the right thing, and now it felt as if a weight had been lifted from her chest.
Gio had listened, his expression serious.You’re right to bring this to me.But we can’t say anything yet. Not until we know who we can trust. Let me do a little more research before we decide on a plan of action.
That had made sense. It felt like the responsible choice.
Naomi slowed at the corner, scanning the street before crossing. Something about the air felt . . . off. Not dangerous exactly. Just wrong in a way she couldn’t define.
She wasn’t used to feeling like this here.
Her apartment was only a few blocks away. She’d walked this route dozens of times, and she’d never once felt the need to look over her shoulder.
Tonight, she did.
It was probably just her adrenaline crashing after talking with Gio. It was the only thing that made sense.
She glanced behind her.
A delivery truck rumbled somewhere in the distance then turned away. The sound faded, leaving only the whisper of wind between buildings.
Naomi crossed the street and continued walking, her steps quickening despite her efforts to stay calm.
You’re imagining things,she told herself.It’s been a long day.
She passed a darkened storefront when movement flickered in her peripheral vision.
Her pulse surged.
She turned just as someone emerged from the shadows.
The man moved too fast for her to react.
One moment she opened her mouth to scream. The next, a hand clamped over her lips and an arm hooked around her waist.
He yanked her backward off the sidewalk. Her feet left the ground.
She kicked and writhed as the man dragged her into the narrow gap between two buildings where the streetlight didn’t reach.
He shifted his hold, and her back hit the brick wall behind her. The impact knocked the air from her lungs.
