"Linsy has nowhere else to go but here."

Michael Helwart’s voice cut through the morning quiet of Charlie’s apartment, its tone layered with a steely firmness that bordered on cold.

In the bedroom, the sound jolted Linsy from the last vestiges of sleep. She sat up abruptly, her heart hammering against her ribs. Golden daylight streamed through the cracks in the blinds, confirming it was no dream. Michael was here.

Charlie’s mocking voice rang out from the living room in response, a ...