In Calia Read’s electrifying and steamy novel of psychological suspense, a handsome stranger shatters a beautiful young woman’s picture-perfect vision of her past. Hold your breath and count to ten. Soon it will be over before it ever began.   No matter how many times Victoria Donovan repeats that phrase to herself, she’s still trapped behind the walls of a mental institution. Once upon a time, her life was like a fantasy: Wes, the handsome fiancé, followed by a storybook wedding and a white picket fence. But then a picture-perfect marriage twisted into something sinister. And as Victoria’s world warped from dream to nightmare, her husband’s obsessions pushed her beyond the breaking point. At first Fairfax Mental Health Institute seems like a safe place for Victoria to heal with her baby, Evelyn, and to hide from Wes, presumed dead by everyone except Victoria. Her husband is still alive, she has no doubt: He slips into her room at night to torment and tempt her. One smoldering kiss and she’s powerless. Of course, no one believes her about these visits. When she meets a sexy, mysterious stranger intent on helping her recall her past, Victoria isn’t sure she can trust him. But deep in her heart, she also knows that the only way out of Fairfax is to remember the way she came in. Unhinge is intended for mature audiences. Advance praise for Unhinge   “Unpredictable, unputdownable, and simply epic.” — New York Times bestselling author Katy Evans   “Calia Read has a way of making me feel as if I’m living inside her books. Unhinge is a haunting story that gripped me instantly and left me immersed in the world of Fairfax. I love it when books make such a lasting impression.” —Willow Aster, USA Today bestselling author of True Love Story Advance praise for Unhinge   “Unpredictable, unputdownable, and simply epic.” — New York Times bestselling author Katy Evans   “Calia Read has a way of making me feel as if I’m living inside her books. Unhinge is a haunting story that gripped me instantly and left me immersed in the world of Fairfax. I love it when books make such a lasting impression.” —Willow Aster, USA Today bestselling author of True Love Story Calia Read is the author of Unhinge, Unravel, Breaking the Wrong, and Every Which Way . She lives in Germany with her husband and their four children. 1 November 2015 “Twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five.” Abruptly, I turn around and walk toward the other side of the room, continuing to count my steps. My feet are starting to ache; I don’t exactly wear heels here. If ever. But for him, I’ll wear them. He’ll be here soon. He comes almost every night, but what makes tonight different is I’m determined to get him to help me. Thirty minutes ago, I started getting ready. I put on my favorite dress. A simple black wrap dress. It’s his favorite too. I brushed my hair until the brown strands fell around my shoulders perfectly and I put a coat of lipstick on. Sprayed perfume on both pulse points. I straightened up my room, smoothing the edges of my plain white comforter. Folding one of Evelyn’s blankets and draping it over the back of the rocking chair in the corner. I stopped my pacing, long enough to peek into the bassinet. Evelyn’s wide blue eyes meet mine. She happily coos and kicks her legs rapidly. The smile she brings to my face is genuine—natural and pure. Everything in my life seems to be cloaked in fog, impossible to make out, but not Evelyn. Very gently, I caress her cheek and brush the gossamer strands of her light brown hair away from her forehead. “I’m going to get us out of here. All right?” She smiles widely as though she understands what I’m saying. I cover her small body with a blanket and kiss her on the forehead. Give her a few minutes and she’ll be out like a light. Loudly, someone knocks on the door. The door creaks open and Kate, the night shift nurse, walks in. She’s in her midthirties. Her hair is always pulled back in a ponytail. Face stripped of makeup. She’s a mom of three. Every time I see her, she looks distracted and bored. As if Fairfax is the last place she wants to be. But Kate’s not so bad. There are nurses much more terrible in this place than Kate. “Lights out,” she says loudly. Evelyn eyes open and close. I shoot Kate a withering look. “Why are you dressed up?” she asks. “No reason.” Kate narrows her eyes. “Fine. Whatever. I don’t feel good and I have a kid that’s sick at home. Go have a night on the town for all I care.” “If you’re ill why come to work? You could get my daughter sick,” I point out. She sighs. “We wouldn’t want that, now would we?” Kate holds out a plastic cup with a colorful array of medication. “Here.” Without a word, I take the cup and toss the pills back. Then I open my mouth dutifully and stick out my tongue. She barely looks. She takes the cup from me and throws it away in the bathroom. “You should be in bed,” she calls out over her shoulder as she le