Chapter 14

We sat in the SUV, parked a block away from Lucy's jewelry store. The engine was off. The street was quiet, empty except for the soft hum of streetlights and the occasional passing car.

Benjamin sat beside me, calm as ever. One hand rested on the wheel. The other held his phone, checking the time every

now and then. He hadn't said a word in a while. Neither had I.

My hands were cold. I kept rubbing them together, but it didn't help. I wasn't nervous. I wasn't scared. I was just... full. Full of everything. Rage. Pain. Pressure. It felt like something inside me was sitting right at the edge, waiting for a reason to explode.

"She should be out any minute now," Benjamin finally said, his voice low.

I nodded. I could see her car parked in front of the shop. The lights inside were still on. She was probably counting money or locking up a drawer. She always stayed late. The perfect little store owner. The perfect liar.