APRIL
Sleep breaks apart slowly.
A tapping sound pulls me up through the fog, soft but persistent. Aria stands at the door, knuckles still raised, eyes careful. A groan slips out as the room tilts and my head throbs like it has been hollowed out and filled with water.
The time on the phone barely makes sense. Two in the afternoon. Hours gone, swallowed whole.
“Someone’s here for you,” Aria says. Hands lift quickly when I swing my legs over the bed. “Easy. Don’t get excited. It’s not Diablo.”
Disappointment hits before it can be stopped. Control comes a second too late. “Then who?”
“Not sure. Says he’s from the government.”
A humorless laugh escapes. “Perfect. Guess Joe forgot to pay taxes on my paychecks and now I’m the one in trouble.”
“You could always remove his balls.”
“Joe’s
