"You're home early," I say when my mother walks into the kitchen.

It's barely three o' clock and it's a Saturday. I didn't expect her to be home by at least two o' clock in the morning.

What surprises me more is that her arms are laced with shopping bags full of groceries and she has a box of doughnuts balanced on the palm of her hand. I stare from her to the bright pink and orange box in awe.

"Did I miss something?" I ask, the gravity of the box and its many wonders sucking me in.

"Why'd you ask that, sweetheart?" she wonders. My fingers dance on the edges of the doughnut box and when I glance up at her, she lets out a long sigh and motions for me to have one of the forested delights.

"I love sprinkles more than I love life," I murmur, sinking my teeth into a chocolate covered treat from heaven.

"They let us go early today. Something about upgrading the software on all the computers? Can't really work when you don't have a computer, you know?" She throws the bags on the table. "I bought groceries, though! And a few of the bills!"

Her grin widens at the surprise on my face. She's never bought groceries for the past year and a half since I got my driver's license. And bills?

"That's great, Mom."

"Right," she nods and runs a hand through her hair. She gives a small smile, "I thought I'd mix it up this week. Besides, you should thank Jason for that."

"Jason?" I gulp, confused. "Why him?"

Stacie Chance pulls her hair out of its up-do and leans against the kitchen counter with a dreamy, faraway look in her eyes. "He's been so good to me, Em. He helped me clean up the house. It's been such a mess. He found so much extra money lying around. We deposited it in the bank this morning. I used it to pay the bills, buy food. Six hundred dollars, Em. Can you believe it? Just lying around like that."

And just like that, the world around me slams to a standstill, and my throat tightens. "Six—did you just say six hundred dollars?"

Her smile falters. "Yes. Why? Is something wrong?"

Panic turns my world on its side, tears leeching the colors from the corners of my vision, and every fiber in my being screams to run upstairs, praying that the pile of checks waiting to be deposited in my family's joint checking account is waiting for me on my desk. "M-mom?" I swallow. "Where did Jason find that money?"

The horror in her eyes tells me everything I need to know.

"Mom, how could you?" The first sob is a knife to my chest. "That was the money I was saving up for New York! It was going to be one giant check I'd cash first thing Monday morning! I told you! I told you last week!"

She drops her head into her hands. "I'm so sorry, Ember."

"No!" I scream. "That's not good enough!"

This was the one thing—the one freaking thing in the entire world I wanted for myself this year. The one thing I allowed myself to use my hard earned money on. For once! Instead of the bills she could hardly afford!

"Alright. I can fix this," she mutters, her voice wavering. She presses a hand to her temples. "I'll go to the store right now and return it. I'll fix this! I promise!"

Another hiccupped sob bursts from my throat. "Forget it! I—I—I can't believe you! One thing, Mom! I wish you wouldn't go and fuck up one single thing!"

I don't bother staying for the rest of her half-assed excuses, the heat in my lungs begging to be expelled in an inferno of chaos, the walls of our house closing in on me the longer I stay inside. "Ember!" Stacie calls when I race to my car. "Wait!"

But I don't. I can't stand to look at her. Staring at the road, I dare Jason to follow out after me. He doesn't, of course. He's done all the damage he needs to.

I swear to God I'll flatten him like a pancake if he tries.

The park is only a two-minute drive from here. When I pull into the small parking lot, a canopy of bright, fiery oranges and gold surrounds me. Each shade blends perfectly into the next like rivers connecting at the base of a mountain and a winding path stretches through the entire area to the shores of a shimmering blue lake. Wiping tears from my chin, I race down the rickety old dock without much of a thought. I've had too many thoughts, too many emotions, for a lifetime.

"Ember," a calm voice says from behind me.

And I thought this day couldn't get any worse.

To say I'm a mess of jitters and extreme nerves would be one of the biggest understatements of my life. With every breath he takes behind me, with every second his presence tarnishes the serenity of the lake, I feel like I might burst into a million pieces.

"Are you just going to sit there and ignore me?" Derek questions curiously.

"Will you go away if I do?" I ask him, my eyes never leaving the crystal waters. Long seconds pass without a word from either of us. And when the seconds turn into five minutes of overwhelming silence, I finally cave, turning to acknowledge his presence.

To my surprise, he moves to stand right next to me, and his dark eyes follow my line of vision. "I want to talk to you about something I know you're well aware of. So before you start playing the dumb blonde card, I know you know why Hayden Cross is here."

Whipping around to glare at him, I bare my teeth. "Do I?"

He doesn't bat an eyelash. "Yes. He was sent on a mission to recruit your brother."

"You son of a bitch." Hearing him say it makes me want to knock every tooth clean out of that psychotic smile of him. "How dare you?"

Derek grabs my hand before it can come in contact with his face and he yanks me against him, clicking his tongue in disappointment. "Nuh-uh, Ember." I roughly shove him away. Derek studies the murderous rage in my expression and raises an eyebrow. " I'm a smart businessman, Ember. I won't apologize for moving in on an opportunity I thought would help my company grow."

"You company?" I laugh. I wonder if I shove him again he'll flip over the side of the dock and get eaten by killer ducks. "That's total fucking bullshit. I know all about your little drug scheme, Derek."

When Derek glares at me, a twinge of fear runs through my chest, and I brace myself to run if anything goes wrong.

"I thought your brother would prove to be a useful asset in our operation. Turns out, he's done more damage than good."

I narrow my eyes. "And how is that, exactly?"

"My going after him has just caused more trouble than anything," Derek says, simply. He walks lazy circles around me. "All along, I thought you were the one who had what I needed, Ember. The flash drive. The plans. That piece of shit, wrapped around your little finger. Turns out I was looking at the wrong Chance."

The malice in his voice makes my blood run cold. "What are you talking about, Derek?"

"I've been so invested in you, Ember Chance, that I forgot there is another feisty blonde in your household who is literally sleeping with my enemy."

"What?"

Derek's smile widens. "Stacie Chance is a beautiful woman. She's had everyone fooled with that pathetic, drunken slut act she's been putting on for so long."

"You've got it all wrong," I insist, clutching my fists at my side. "She can barely get groceries. She likes to party. She's not into drug cartels and gangs. She doesn't know anything about this!"

"Then why is her boyfriend the number one target on my Hit List, sweetheart? Why have I seen her with him at three Pickups since I've been here?" He stifles a laugh. "Every hit against my crew has led me to him and your mother at your house, at her office, or at her bars. Jason is known for stealing plans and selling them to other crews. I should have known this sooner."

The night of Nate's party flashes to mind. I thought Derek was the one who sent Jason to retrieve the flash drive from me. "He took it from me. But that doesn't mean she had anything to do with it."

"I have sources that tell me otherwise. Your mom knows about your history with Hayden. Jason knew about Hayden's involvement in the Operation. You need two to tango and they took what's mine. I don't know how—I don't care at this point. It doesn't matter now that they've been Marked."

"M-Marked?"

"Yes," Derek grins, looking at an imaginary watch on his wrist. "And if my timing is right, my hit man should have done it any second."

Any second?

No. No. No. No. This can't be happening. Please, God.

"I'll do anything," I whisper. "Just don't hurt her."

"Too late, sweetheart. You mess with me, you pay. It doesn't matter who you are or how invested you were. She was an accessory."

Derek Rodriguez takes a step away from me and extends an arm, fingers curled except for his index finger pointed right between my eyes. I can't hear what he says over the blood pumping in my ears. He presses his hand against my forehead and throws his head back, laughing.

"Derek."

"Boom."

* * *