The man’s voice was smooth, deep, and far too familiar. Hearing my name in that tone made the cold around me feel sharper.
“Cassandra.”
I could not move. My skates felt rooted to the concrete as the black SUV idled, its engine a low growl. The man in the back seat smiled, the kind of smile that knew things. My pulse thudded in my ears.
George’s grip on my arm tightened. “Inside. Now.”
The words were quiet but urgent. He pulled me back toward the rink entrance, away from the vehicle, but I glanced over my shoulder. The man’s gaze followed me, unblinking.
The window slid up and the SUV rolled away, blending into the stream of cars leaving the lot.
I swallowed hard. “Who was that?”
George shook his head. “Not here. Not now.”
Jessie had caught up to us, her breath puffing in the cold a
