Austin thanked her for the coffee and left shortly afterward, no funny business. Marielle went to her bathroom and briefly considered checking for cameras. After a glance around the room, she chuckled. He wouldn’t do that. No way. He was desperate and obvious, but sick in that way wasn’t in the profile. She sank into …

Another room full of stale coffee and radiants. Vincent stood at the front, preparing to speak while everyone stood ready to train their weapons on him should he pull anything from his body. Austin yawned, covering it with the back of his right wrist. He put his hand down and used his left hand to …

It was still early morning when Austin pulled over to a corner Starbucks and let the girl—whose real name, Alisa, he had learned just that morning—out of the car. They went through the drive-thru first, where Austin bought her some sort of sweet coffee and a doughnut. Then they sat in a parking spot as …

Vincent removed his tie and went to Klara, slipping it over her head from behind and letting it fall over her neck. She grinned at him, and he grinned back. Then she gave him a slightly confused look. “I’m sorry,” he said with a chuckle, stepping back. He unbuttoned one of the top buttons of …

Vincent sat in the corner of the lab, hands laced together, leaning his forehead on his thumb knuckles. He took a deep breath in and slowly let it out again through rounded lips. Then he reached up with the fingers on his right hand and gently stroked, then straightened, his wedding ring. He wondered when …