ped through the f

ural, heavy-pressed in like a storm waiting to break. It was always like th

out. He wanted

ood. My heartbeat filled the space instead, loud and uneven. The hous

ting to get

the

Is

n't need volum

this but I still

stood in the archway to the living room, half-lit by a single lamp, sleeves rolled to his elb

t early,"

't feeli

orward. "You looked perfectly healt

n that. Of c

d air. Th

exed. "Don'

'm

ut not ab

did for your family. Everything I paid. Everything I cleaned up.

y voice level. "Sebastian was checkin

now he's

shards raining across the hardwood like crystal h

bruise. I was yanked forward, the broken shards on the floor digging i

e said low. "Don

whispered. "But

slap came quick, and I tasted blood.

t the

itch," he mutt

him-he burned brighter on them. He turned and wal

hip ached from where I'd landed. Then the couch creaked

e softening like velvet over broken glass.

othing it like I was something

ere, swe

ound my waist. I wanted to shove him o

left me outside in the rain all night and told the staff I was visitin

iled around

I love yo

k. That was th

me, don't make me remind you.

ver his shoulder, and

th the edge of the rug

ized it i

Hale's bu

cked in a folder with the rest of the investor material

've look

face to keep him from seeing

me leaving the gala early. It wasn't a

satisfied with destroying only me, he seemed to want to bring anyone do

as something betwee

wasn't. Not

that would

s-even believed I might look at anot

e an exam

ing in plain sight

lready pl