Page 36 of Exposed

Try to ignore the fact that I am alone in the world. I have nothing but my name. Even the clothes I wear are yours, the phone, the shoes. Even my face belongs to you, since you paid to have it fixed.

I am reminded, then, of the chip in my hip. Is that real? Is that possible? I make it two blocks up and three blocks over before my nerves overcome me. I huddle against the side of a building, clutching the phone so hard my hand hurts.

Swipe right; 0-3-0-9; contacts; Logan.

It rings once. Twice. Three times.

“Logan Ryder.” His voice alone soothes me.

“Logan? It’s me. It’s”—I have to suck in a breath—“it’s Isabel.”

There are voices in the background, a phone ringing. “Sorry, it’s crazy at the office right now. Hold on, let me go somewhere quiet.” I hear a door click closed, and the background noise fades. “Are you okay?”

“No. I—I left.”

“Left?” You suck in a breath. “You mean youleft, left?”

“Yes, Logan. I walked out.” My voice quavers. “I... Caleb, he... we—he did something. To me.” I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about that, yet.

“And he let you leave?”

“He gave me a cell phone, and even programmed your number into it.”

“So he can track you, probably.”

“He told me he had a microchip surgically implanted in my hip. So I don’t think he needs a cell phone to track me.”

“Are you joking?”

“Humor is not one of my strong suits, Logan.”

“Goddamn. That’s fucked up. Like really,reallyfucked up.”

“I know.” I fall silent as a man sidles past me on the sidewalk, eyeing me with something like greed in his gaze. I give him my best glare, and he continues past me. “Caleb, when I told him I was leaving, all he said was to have fun with you, and that it wouldn’t last.”

“I wonder what game he’s playing,” he muses.

“I wish I knew.” A phone rings in the background. “Do you have to answer that?”

“No. That’s why I have employees,” he says. “Where are you?”

“I don’t know. A few blocks from the tower. I don’t have anywhere to go. I don’t know what to do. I didn’t want to just go running straight to you, but I don’t know what to do.”

“Of course you should go straight to me. I’m here for you, Isabel.”

I like that. Oh, I like it very much. Hearing my name on his lips. A normal name. A beautiful name.

“Can you come get me?” I ask.

“I—shit. Fuck. I can’t. God, honey, I’m so sorry. I’m at the tail end of a fifteen-million-dollar acquisition.” He curses again, fluently. “My office is on Ninth and Forty-fifth. Can you make it here?”

“Yes. I’ll call you again when I’m at the intersection?”

“All right. I’m sorry, normally I’d drop whatever I’m doing, but I have to be physically present for this one.”

“No, it’s all right.”

“It’s not. I don’t even have a car to send for you. I keep things simple, you know?”