Echoes of the Dark Night

Celeste Wren knew something was wrong with her. She was like a vine straining desperately toward the sun—whenever anyone gave her even the illusion of light, she wanted to cling to them with all her strength. Psychology called it a pathological attachment born from an absent father. She understood the theory, but she couldn’t break free. Twenty-two, fresh out of school, working in a coffee shop, she’d seen too many men treat her as little more than a decent-looking ornament beside the register. Until Julian Crane appeared. This insurance claims investigator had a gaze as precise as a scalpel. In a single glance, he peeled her away from the crowd. He was polite, restrained, and proactive, like a long-overdue redemption. Celeste Wren’s reason was screaming warnings, but her body had already...