She started locking her door with the small brass bolt Mara had installed for her the day after she found the vent camera — a second lock, on top of the door lock that came standard, something that felt, however small, like it was hers to control.
It didn't matter. She learned that on the third night after the bar.
She woke at 3:14 am to the particular quiet of a room that wasn't empty anymore, the kind of stillness that had weight to it, and opened her eyes to find Damien lying on the floor beside her bed, on his back, one arm folded behind his head, staring at the ceiling like he'd been there a while.
She sat up fast, heart slamming. "How did you get in here. I locked the door. Both locks."
"Master key," he said, not moving, not even looking at her. "House is mine. Every lock has a t
