Rafe
“Adele?” My voice bounces off the vaulted ceilings when I get to the ski mansion. The place is empty.
She isn’t in the kitchen and hasn’t been for a while. I don’t sense her presence anywhere.
I tear through the mansion, leaving a few doors askew with claw marks on the frames. Is she mad at me for leaving? I’ll make it up to her. In bed. Or in the heated pool…
Outside I find the heated stone patio clear of snow, but the path beyond shows her boot prints. Even though I’m not in a coat, I plunge into the forest.
A strong scent hovers on the air. It’s heavy and spicy with a smoky undertone, almost like incense. The last time I smelled it was in Gabriel Dieter’s Lake Como home. Which means…
The bastard is here. Adele’s in danger.
I sprint down the path and find Adele and Dieter. “
