All thoughts of discomfort vanished the moment she spotted the black Escalade parked in the driveway. The sight of it immediately had her heart racing and excitement diving through her. Killian’s name burst out of her even as she threw open her door and scrambled heedlessly out of the SUV. Her pumps clacked noisily in her haste. Part of her was thankful one of the men had thought to shovel the walkway and porch at some point earlier that day. The cleared path made it easier to reach the front door.

“Killian?”

She scrambled into the foyer. Her purse struck the floor to the table by the door and slumped over forgotten. Her heels hit the hardwood all the way to the center of the foyer before she felt it.

The absence.

No one was there. Javier and Laurence were missing from their usual place at the window. Their table was still there with a small pile of things sitting on top. Phil and Vi were nowhere to be seen. Mrs. Tompkins had gone to her daughter’s house two days earlier so Juliette wasn’t expecting to see her, but everyone else…

“Hello?” she called.

Her own voice carried back through the darkness. Images of finding their massacred bodies somewhere at the back of the house had her scrambling backwards. She hit the front porch and twisted to see the driveway where Jake and Melton should have been.

The SUV Jake and Melton normally drove was gone. Its place was an empty square of wet concrete and shadows. Next to it, the SUV she’d seen on arrival sat parked exactly where it had been, the windows dark, but she knew no one was inside. Her gaze swung over the street, clinging to the hope that they’d parked at the curb.

But the black SUV was gone.

Heart a frantic knot in her chest, Juliette hurried back inside. Her heels struck the place next to her purse and she padded bare foot into the sitting room. Most of it was bathed in darkness, except for the plastic table by the window. The light from outside spilled across the white surface, making the rectangle glow. The three items sat in the very middle, in a small pile.

A phone, a set of keys she suspected belonged to the SUV parked outside and an envelope. She tore into the latter.

It was signed by Killian. His graceful penmanship looped across the bottom. His company logo burned at the top, making it all nice and official. But the series of words were wrong, no matter how many times she made herself reread the single page. It registered and she understood and still it made no sense.

In continuation of the original Agreement, this document is legal and binding between two consenting parties. Effective immediately, I, Killian McClary, hereby annul the contract called The Agreement previously decided upon with Juliette Romero. By doing so, both parties acknowledge that the termination is immediate, nonnegotiable, and without prejudice. As per accordance to The Agreement, section iii, paragraph twelve, failure to provide the appropriate thirty day notice, The Primary accepts the penalties and charges as stands:

One mobile device.

One fully functioning vehicle.

One lump sum of ten million dollars to be deposited in The Secondary’s desired account.

By accepting, The Secondary relinquish her rights to the original agreement. All parties are to refrain from further contact henceforth. Failure to do so will result in severe penalties.

Signed and dated by Killian McClary.

It was all so straightforward and to the point and yet she refused to believe he would do this, that he would break their contract without even talking to her. How could he even possibly think she would accept this without a fight?

Pitching the letter down, she turned and sprinted upstairs. She changed quickly out of her work clothes and drew on a thick sweater and jeans. She strapped her feet into a pair of comfy boots, threw on her coat, grabbed the phone, car keys, and letter, and stormed from the house.

It had been seven years since she’d driven a car. The Escalade was definitely bigger and more luxurious than her mother’s old Neon, but it suited her immediate needs. The warm leather cradled her body as though designed for her. The inside smelled of new car and pine. It was nice, but not nice enough to stave off the chill that refused to be subdued no matter how high she turned the heater. It seemed to be radiating from deep inside her own bones. The phone and letter felt like a weights in her pocket and she had to refrain from pitching both out the window.

But she did pull out the phone and dialed Vi’s number. The built in Bluetooth in the car immediately picked up the call and the ringer shrieked through the cabin. Juliette held her breath as she waited for someone to pick up.

“Hello?” Vi’s voice filled her ears.

Juliette exhaled. “Thank goodness you’re all right.”

“Juliette?” There was a short pause, then, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Juliette shook her head. “Nothing. Where are you?”

There was loud chatter in the background, the low hum of too many people in a single place.

“The mall with Phil. Why? Everything okay?”

Juliette frowned. “Phil’s with you?”

“Yeah, we’re at the food court. He got a call he had to take so he’s wandering around somewhere. He’ll be back in bit though. Why?”

Confusion built in Juliette’s chest, a sensation that insisted she was missing something. Why would Vi still have her security detail and not Juliette?

“Juliette?”

“Nothing,” she said quickly. “I was just curious. You wouldn’t happen to know what happened to Javier and Laurence, would you? They’re not at the house.”

“Well, you can’t expect them to stick around when Mrs. Tompkins is no longer there, can you? They must have been recalled or whatever happens to bodyguards that aren’t needed.”

She should have known that, Juliette realized with some embarrassment. Of course they were called back. They couldn’t stay when they had no one to watch. But that didn’t explain where Jake and Melton went off to. The pair hadn’t left her side since they were appointed as her detail.

“I’m going to Killian’s for a minute,” she told her sister. “But I’ll be back later tonight, all right?”

She could almost hear Vi shrug. “All right. Have fun.”

The line went dead with a soft click. Juliette put her whole focus on driving rather than worrying herself sick. It was a blessing that the roads were clear. A light flurry had started and snow swirled around the streetlights, making the halos of light shimmer. They blew against Juliette’s windshield, forcing her to start the wipers. Ice was beginning to form, turning the road into a rink. Her fingers tightened on the wheel.

The winding hill leading to Killian’s estate hadn’t been shoveled and snow spun out beneath the tires. Even with her high beams, the road was dark, forcing her to an almost snail’s pace. At the top, the gates opened, which surprised her. She hadn’t been sure what sort of greeting she would get. Pulling into park next to the fountain, she tore out the keys, grabbed the phone, and hopped out. The grounds were brightly illuminated, but she still didn’t see any of the stationed guards. She knew they were there, watching. She could feel their eyes. She ignored the prickling sensation and sprinted to the front doors.

They opened as she had expected them to, but it was Frank looming on the threshold, his face that perfect blankness only he knew how to pull off.

“I need to see him, please,” she blurted at once.

“I’m sorry, but Mr. McClary isn’t taking visitors at the moment.”

Juliette actually flinched at visitors, but she kept her voice even when she spoke. “Please, Frank. He can’t go on the way he is. It’s going to get him killed. Please just let me talk to him for five minutes—”