were photos of Kiera as well, while she was shopping, at work, gardening in the front yard.
"Oh my God." Lora stood in the doorway, her hands covering her mouth. "Riley, it's not what you think."
Riley glanced back at the photos. "Not what I think?"
She ripped a sheet off the board and stared down at it in horror. It was a printout, a case report about her father, but it was the highlighted text that made her blood turn to ice.
After careful analysis, the Therian Council has dropped all charges against Turner Payne in regards to the chemical fire that killed Richard Boyd.
Riley read and reread the text. Turner had been there when her father died, and there had been enough evidence to launch an investigation as to whether he had started the fire. It didn't matter to her that the paper said he was innocent, he had been there. Why? And why was his office filled with photos of her and her sister?
She crumpled the paper in her hand and glanced at Lora, whose face was now drawn in a tight frown.
"You knew about this." It wasn't a question.
Lora grimaced and stepped in front of the door when Riley moved to leave.
"You need to talk to Turner."
"Let me go." She had to get out of there.
Riley had no doubt the woman possessed enough strength to hold her there, but Lora sighed and moved out of the way.
"I can't let you walk out of here alone. It's dangerous. We don't know who else is after you."
A hysterical laugh escaped Riley's lips. "Dangerous?" She jammed her thumb at the elevator control panel, then turned on Lora. She shoved the printout in Lora's face. "Did you know he was involved in my father's death?"
Lora rubbed the back of her neck. "Yes, but—"
The woman's admission choked her. "You're all liars!" The elevator doors opened, and Riley held out a hand to stop Lora from getting on. "Stay away from me. All of you."
Panic gleamed in Lora's eyes. "What about Kiera?"
Riley paused. Oh God, in her confusion she'd almost forgotten about her sister. She held the door when it started to close and placed her forehead against the cool metal of the frame.
"I trusted you. I thought you were trying to help."
Lora placed her hand on Riley's arm. "We are. I promise we'll do everything we can to help her, to help you."
How could she believe her after everything she'd seen? But now, with Marcus dead, who else could she turn to?
The intercom buzzed.
Lora glanced at the screen and smiled hesitantly. "The pizza is here. Let's eat and talk about it. If you really want to leave afterwards, I'll give you my keys. No one's holding you here against your will."
Her body felt like rubber. She didn't have the strength to leave right now. And where would she go?
"Sit down. I'll pay for the pizza."
In a haze, Riley walked to the living room and sat down heavily on the couch. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, but her mind kept drifting to the weird shrine Turner had constructed in the other room. No wonder he hadn't brought her here. But why the other apartment?
Closer to spy on her.
She shivered. The printout was still clutched in her fist, the paper damp from her sweaty palms.
The ping of the elevator sounded behind her and the smell of pizza made her mouth water. Lora murmured something, and then there was a thump.
"Lora?" There was no response, just the sound of the elevator closing. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything will be fine, Riley." Her father's familiar voice sliced through her heart.
It couldn't be.
She stood slowly. Her legs shook, and she was certain they would give out on her at any moment. Time seemed to slow down, the seconds stretching out like minutes. She clenched her teeth and turned, her breath leaving her in a gush, as if she had been sucker punched in the gut.
Two dark, burly figures stood in the hallway, their weapons trained on her. But it was the man between them that held her attention.
"Dad?"
"Hello, Riley."
There were a few new lines around his eyes, his dark hair now streaked with
"Oh my God." Lora stood in the doorway, her hands covering her mouth. "Riley, it's not what you think."
Riley glanced back at the photos. "Not what I think?"
She ripped a sheet off the board and stared down at it in horror. It was a printout, a case report about her father, but it was the highlighted text that made her blood turn to ice.
After careful analysis, the Therian Council has dropped all charges against Turner Payne in regards to the chemical fire that killed Richard Boyd.
Riley read and reread the text. Turner had been there when her father died, and there had been enough evidence to launch an investigation as to whether he had started the fire. It didn't matter to her that the paper said he was innocent, he had been there. Why? And why was his office filled with photos of her and her sister?
She crumpled the paper in her hand and glanced at Lora, whose face was now drawn in a tight frown.
"You knew about this." It wasn't a question.
Lora grimaced and stepped in front of the door when Riley moved to leave.
"You need to talk to Turner."
"Let me go." She had to get out of there.
Riley had no doubt the woman possessed enough strength to hold her there, but Lora sighed and moved out of the way.
"I can't let you walk out of here alone. It's dangerous. We don't know who else is after you."
A hysterical laugh escaped Riley's lips. "Dangerous?" She jammed her thumb at the elevator control panel, then turned on Lora. She shoved the printout in Lora's face. "Did you know he was involved in my father's death?"
Lora rubbed the back of her neck. "Yes, but—"
The woman's admission choked her. "You're all liars!" The elevator doors opened, and Riley held out a hand to stop Lora from getting on. "Stay away from me. All of you."
Panic gleamed in Lora's eyes. "What about Kiera?"
Riley paused. Oh God, in her confusion she'd almost forgotten about her sister. She held the door when it started to close and placed her forehead against the cool metal of the frame.
"I trusted you. I thought you were trying to help."
Lora placed her hand on Riley's arm. "We are. I promise we'll do everything we can to help her, to help you."
How could she believe her after everything she'd seen? But now, with Marcus dead, who else could she turn to?
The intercom buzzed.
Lora glanced at the screen and smiled hesitantly. "The pizza is here. Let's eat and talk about it. If you really want to leave afterwards, I'll give you my keys. No one's holding you here against your will."
Her body felt like rubber. She didn't have the strength to leave right now. And where would she go?
"Sit down. I'll pay for the pizza."
In a haze, Riley walked to the living room and sat down heavily on the couch. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, but her mind kept drifting to the weird shrine Turner had constructed in the other room. No wonder he hadn't brought her here. But why the other apartment?
Closer to spy on her.
She shivered. The printout was still clutched in her fist, the paper damp from her sweaty palms.
The ping of the elevator sounded behind her and the smell of pizza made her mouth water. Lora murmured something, and then there was a thump.
"Lora?" There was no response, just the sound of the elevator closing. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything will be fine, Riley." Her father's familiar voice sliced through her heart.
It couldn't be.
She stood slowly. Her legs shook, and she was certain they would give out on her at any moment. Time seemed to slow down, the seconds stretching out like minutes. She clenched her teeth and turned, her breath leaving her in a gush, as if she had been sucker punched in the gut.
Two dark, burly figures stood in the hallway, their weapons trained on her. But it was the man between them that held her attention.
"Dad?"
"Hello, Riley."
There were a few new lines around his eyes, his dark hair now streaked with
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