049 | IN THE LIBRARY

Scarlett’s POV

“I’m sorry,” I said again, starting to back away, “you have the wrong person.” My natural instinct was to raise my hands, to protect myself, but God only knew what would happen if I did that. A shudder wracked through me at the imagined sound of a truck’s brakes screaming and the wet thump of a body hitting –

I bit my lip. I couldn’t. I’d get emotional, and the last time I’d got emotional I’d –

This was hopeless.

“I never have the wrong person,” said the man, and then he extended a long-fingered hand towards me. “Scarlett Woodrush, am I correct? Although you haven’t used that name in some time now, have you, Lilac?” His upper lip twitched again.

The blood left my face in a rush. “That’s not–”

“Right,” he finished for me. One eyebrow arched; his lip twitched again. “Next you’ll say, ‘I’m sorry, but you’re wrong.’ Well, you would have, if I hadn’t told you.”

I started backing away in earnest now.

“Watch out.”

“Watch out for what?” I snapped – just as I tripped over a t