“How long?”

“A day. Maybe two.”

Hannah folded the report into an envelope. “I’m telling Adrian tonight.”

She never got the chance. That afternoon, Emilio asked her to pick out oranges and specialty flour from a small artisan market near the estate. Hannah welcomed the walk.

Snow covered the sidewalks, and for the first time in weeks, she wanted to feel cold air beyond the mansion gates. Rourke assigned two guards to follow at a distance.

A delivery truck blocked the narrow street near the market, separating Hannah from them for less than a minute. It was enough. As she entered the alley behind the store, a gloved hand covered her mouth and a sharp sting struck the side of her neck.