His hands, gloved and unrelenting, clamped tighter around her throat. Mira slammed her fists down onto his forearms, praying she could break his hold, but the impact only incited him and he growled, shuffling sideways until he banged her head back against the glass window.Scrambling for a way out of this, Mira tried desperately to visualize the room. Were there any objects nearby she could use as a weapon? Soon her thinking became murky, as she struggled for air that wasno longer reaching her lungs. Refusing to give up and sensing where his feet were planted, where his legs held firm and met at the apex between his legs, she kneed him hard, driving her leg up and screaming.It was a good hit and he keeled over, releasing her, and she sprinted, rushing and tripping around the coffee table then the sofa chair as she made her frantic way to the bedroom.She could feel him on her heels, but just as she crossed the threshold and grabbed the edge of the open door to slam it shut, he caug
Nate didn’t respond except to let out a carefully measured breath, drawing his warm hand up and down her back. She pictured him clenching his jaw, puzzled, his gaze turning soft as he slipped into deep thought.“It’s too great a coincidence that hours after Carter threatened us that he had gone to the press, you ended up getting attacked.”Mira gaped fearfully. The police had suggested as much, but it hadn’t felt as real as it did now, hearing Nate state the possibility.“Whoever they are,” he went on, “they won’t get away with this.Every inch of this building is covered with security cameras. It’s only a matter of time before we find out who they are. Trust me, they’re going to go to prison for a very long time.”She found herself leaning into him, melting into a more relaxed pose in response to his strong arm resting around her back, his warm hand hooked on her hip.“I wasn’t sure you’d ever speak to me again,” she said.“Hey,” he said in a reassuring tone. “I have a lot to figure
The next morning, Nate slipped out of bed without disturbing Mira , who was sleeping deeply. After making coffee and taking a quick shower, he dressed quietly in his walk-in closet before meeting a locksmithat his door at exactly 7:15 a.m.It only took twenty minutes for the technician to install another keycard lock. He gave Nate three copies and explained that he would still have to use his old one to get into the building downstairs, but that would only be in the event that the doormen weren’t standing post, which Nate knew wouldn’t be likely.After thanking the man and wiring the payment, Nate sent him on his way then peaked in on Mira . She looked like an angel under the covers, breathing softly. The gauze around her eyes was becoming a part of her, and Nate almost couldn’t remember what she’d looked like prior to the accident.Taking a moment to ride the swell of how intense his feelings were for her, Nate became all the more concerned that she had been attacked.His father’s t
By the time Nate was pulling up in his parking spot beside the trailer at the Starlight pipeline, he felt thoroughly overwhelmed and ready to snap. It wouldn’t be the best way to approach his father, so he took a few deep breaths, letting the engine cool now that he’d drawn the key out and tucked it into the sun visor over his head.When he finally did get out of his Lexus, he walked over to the stack of pipes set yards back from the trench. Construction workers bid him good morning as he passed. He nodded in response, though his gaze was locked on the new materials. To the naked eye, they appeared to be the new, platinum-coated steel cylinders that Mira had advocated for. When he stopped by seven chemical barrels and waved the construction manager over, he could tell by the labeling on the side of each barrel that it was also the correct, eco-friendly material.As he questioned the manager, a friendly guy who aimed to please, and as he tried to follow the man’s explanation, Nate coul
When Mira stepped out of the limousine, she was confronted with how loud the crowd was. A drone of echoing voices billowed across the dusty construction site, indicating the press conference was twelve yards up the trench.Intimidated and having refused the white cane that Dr. Fitzpatrick had offered her during her last appointment where he sealed her fate that she would never see due to the most critical optical nerves having been damaged beyond repair, Mira hesitated to venture towards the commotion.Thankfully, Hector and Jenny, two trusted members of One World, approached, calling out her name. “I’m glad you both could make it,” she said.“Of course,” said Hector, taking her arm. “It looks like everyone is gathered this way.” “What’s all this about?” Jenny asked curiously“Truth be told, I’m not sure,” she said, as they made their way towards the crowd. “How many people are here?”After a brief moment, he said, “It looks like five media outlets, and I would say about two hundred
When Mira woke the next morning she felt a strange mix of elation and dread. She almost couldn’t believe the Starlight Energy pipeline was going to be built far out in East Bellevue. It was the biggestaccomplishment of her career, and there was nothing to fear. Nate had signed the contract. This was happening. As thrilled as this made her, it wasn’t reason enough for her to forget the damning prognosis she had received from Dr. Fitzpatrick. Vital nerves behind her eyes were too damaged for Seattle Mercy to feel confident about giving her donor eyes.The board felt they couldn’t risk wasting two good eyes should her surgery go badly, and it would, according to her doctor. Nate was acting as though he wouldn’t let Dr. Fitzpatrick’s opinion on the matter stop him. But Nate ’s determination to somehow secure donated eyes without the help of the hospital wasn’t exactly realistic, as far as Mira was concerned.Opposites might attract, but Mira knew she and Nate couldn’t be more different.
While Mira sat in his exam room and endured similar tests as those he had conducted a few days prior, Nate stepped out to make a few calls, the reason for which he had been somewhat secretive about.As Dr. Fitzpatrick was finishing up, she asked, “What do you think the likelihood of Nate finding me donor eyes will be?”The doctor released a sigh then said, “I really couldn’t tell you.I have never endeavored anything so ambitious. All I can tell you is the likelihood of whether or not your body will accept or reject your new eyes, and the degree to which you might be able to see once they are in.”“So what’s the likelihood?”“I’ll have an idea once I examine the photos I’m taking. I should know in a day or so. Bear in mind, though, that we have three battles. The first is making sure the donor is, in fact, a match. I explained to you earlier that this aspect could be tricky to navigate. Then your body has to acceptthe eyes. And then after the nerves attach and heal, we’ll have to clo
Nate was due at the new Starlight site in East Bellevue, and though Mira had planned on making the drive with him to take pictures of the new site to document her achievement, she was completely shocked that Carter had been in the Escala the night she was attacked.Like Frank Wright, Carter wasn’t one to wear dress shoes, and Mira would like to think she would recognize him in some way his stature, his smell, his vibe but just because she hadn’t, didn’t mean itwasn’t him. Even though Mira had her suspicions as to who might be at the top of this twisted pyramid, she felt the first step toward solving the mystery would be to confront Carter. Why had he been there that night? She wasn’t looking forward to this. It had been so hurtful of him to take Nate ’s medical records to the press, completely disregarding her order not to. And if that hadn’t been bad enough, she still hadn’t dealt with his betrayal. Hearing Carter and Layla feed the press twisted truths mixedwith lies at the pres