ee

ive king-sized bed. Her throat was parched, her lips cr

he muffled sounds coming from the living roo

mpa

probably out there, clinking glasses with Barrett, her perfectly manicured

k. It was physical. Her heart, weakened by days of stress, dehyd

fingernails scratched against the hard

e, she thought.

nt of her eyes, merging until the room was sw

Light flooded i

doorway. He held a

annoyed, not concerned. "Ge

heavy. She saw him step closer, his shadow

she t

into her sleeve. She had hidden a broken piece of a plast

mpty air. Her body convu

voice changed. Pani

kness t

A

gs sucking in air with a viol

against her ribs like a trapped bird. Thump.

pajamas were soaked,

ed aroun

window was small, covered by cheap plastic blinds that let in slices of bri

Her old apartme

g so hard she knocked over a glass of water. It sh

home button. T

12

it was thr

ne, locked it, and unlocked it again. She pinc

ybe the last three years

nd buzzed, vibratin

flashed a

rr

y. Pavlovian conditioning. Barrett calls, Anaya answers. For

in screamed. Apolog

der her cheek returned. The sound of Adele's lau

ed as if the phone

screen as it rang.

to voi

s deafening. It was the loud

e turned on the faucet, splashing freezing cold

ne. There was life in her skin. But the eyes... the eyes were different. Th

ered today

to Adele Townsend. He was going to ask Anaya to coordinate t

l smile touc

she whispered t

zed again. A

ring the Townsend files.

t. He thought he owned her. He thought she was just a piec

ingers moved steadily, w

a: I

hit

power button. She watc

the bed and pulled her s