Evelyn's POV
Evelyn Carter pressed her hands against the counter of the diner, staring down at the chipped laminate as if it could swallow her whole. The lunch rush had ended hours ago, but her nerves hadn’t quieted. They never did anymore.
The bell over the door jingled, and her stomach twisted before she even looked up.
It wasn’t a customer. It was him again.
The debt collector.
He filled the doorway with broad shoulders and a facial expression that made her skin crawl. Two others trailed behind him, one cracking his knuckles, the other chewing gum loudly as though boredom was the only thing keeping him alive.
Carmen froze mid-wipe with a rag over one of the booths, her dark eyes darting to Evelyn. Not again.
“Well, well,” the collector drawled, walking toward her with deliberate
