Chapter 22 · Old Blood on the Roof

The roof door slammed behind me and I spun around, but Wraith was already ten feet closer than he should've been.

"Last Rowe witness," he said again. His voice was quieter up here. Almost gentle. "Funny how they keep hiring your family."

I backed up. Gravel crunched under my shoes. The wind bit through my shirt and I realized I'd run up six flights of stairs without my jacket. Smart. Real smart.

"I don't know what you're talking about." My hand found the railing. Cold metal. Forty stories down to the street.

Wraith tilted his head. He looked younger up close. Maybe thirty. Dark hair pulled back, scar along his jaw, eyes that didn't glow but didn't need to. "Evelyn Rowe. Vivian Sul. Before her, Claire Rowe. They didn't tell you?"

Claire. My aunt. The one who disappeared when I was twelve. Mom never talked about her.

"You're lying."

"Am I?" He took another step. Not fast. Not threatening. Just steady. Like he had all night. "Claire lasted eight months in that penthouse before she ran. Vivian made it eleven. You?"

He smiled.

"You're already at three. I think you'll beat the record.