Claimed Twice

Chapter one

The Safe Life

My name is Nora. I live in Los Angeles now. I have a small apartment. I have a job I like. I have one true friend named Priya. My life is quiet, and quiet is good.

Every morning, I wake up early. I take my pills. My body does not always listen to me. Some days my joints hurt so bad I cannot stand. Some days I am fine. I never know which day I will get.

I work at a company called BrightCell. We study health and medicine. I look at blood samples all day. I am good at my job. Numbers do not lie to me. Numbers do not leave me either.

"You look tired," Priya said this morning, handing me coffee.

"I'm always tired," I said. "It's my normal."

She gave me a look. Priya knows some things about my past. Not everything. Just enough to worry about me.

I did not tell her about New York. I did not tell her about the ballroom. I did not tell her about the boy who looked at me like I was the only person in the world, and then, one hour later, looked at me like I was nothing at all.

That was five years ago. I do not think about it. Much.

At lunch, my boss called a meeting. She said a big company from New York was joining with us. A partnership, she said. Lots of money. Lots of change.

"What company?" I asked.

"Voss Group," she said. "You'll meet their team next week."

My stomach dropped like a stone down a well.

Voss.

It could be nothing. It is a common name. There are many Voss families in the world.

But my hands started

shaking anyway.