[Noah's POV]

I sat in the dark. The heavy brass door clicked shut, sealing out the sound of the freezing rain, but I still felt the chill. The one-million-dollar check lay untouched on the Persian rug.

She was gone.

I poured a glass of whiskey using my good hand. Blood from my bandaged palm smeared the crystal. I drank it straight. The alcohol burned a trail down my throat, but it didn't touch the cold rot spreading in my chest.

She played me. She protected Ryan. I repeated the facts, locking ...