When Marielle woke up Monday morning, she wasn’t surprised that her phone was ringing loudly, or that it was bright in her room. Nor was she surprised that she’d fallen asleep on top of the blankets, still in her dress from her date the night before. Right, she thought, Joe something or other… Definitely no …

There was pandemonium for a minute as several more people arrived on the scene, including Barbara and Liam. Vincent had fallen to his knees but was still alert, although a fresh cut trickled blood down the side of his handsome face. Austin rushed in between everyone and bent down to Marielle, taking hold of her …

Both Austin and Marielle drank their water quickly, relishing how it quenched their thirst even though they knew Vincent was in much worse shape. Marielle imagined his tongue swelling with thirst and his stomach rolling with hunger, although he probably felt them only when there was a small break in the merciless torture being thrust …

Something flickered. An explosion on television startled Marielle awake, even though she hadn’t been aware of falling asleep. She turned; Austin was awake and staring at the love scene on screen. Sweaty, naked bodies were intertwined. She stood, then went down to the ground on her back and tucked her toes under the lip of …

When Marielle was awakened by a heavy-handed knock on the door, she briefly panicked because she didn’t recognize the room. Then she laughed at herself because the knock hadn’t even been on her door. “Right,” she said with a yawn and a glance around the room that she currently occupied. “I’m at Valorant.” Then she …

Liam, Sabine, Austin, Vincent, and Marielle all sat in the meeting room toward the front of the large oval table. Marielle bit a hangnail nervously, while Sabine leaned against a single finger, her face pallid. Austin was yawning and trying to cover it with the back of his wrist. Marielle wondered how late he had …

Austin gestured to the couch upon arrival at his office, and for a moment, Marielle was concerned that he’d try to sit there with her, although why that concerned her, she wasn’t certain. It wasn’t as if they’d never sat together before.  He didn’t. Instead, he went to his desk and sat, folding his fingers …

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 …