ead. The floral scent hit her nose, send

ning room hel

e porcelain plate, her fingers gripping the edge so

p by measured step, until she st

ius barked, pushing his chair b

e and Emma's face. She looked like she was enjoying t

mma asked softly, her voi

rward, shoving it direc

ng backward. "Emma! I.

tave. "Your favorite is jasmine cake, not r

eadingly at Dari

nd scraped the shortbread into the bin. She tossed the plate into the sink, where it shatt

grabbing her upper arm in a vice grip, his fingers

Emma warned, h

screamed from

ood floor. She had "tripped" over the leg of a c

lea sobbed, clu

lea, cradling her head. He looked up a

heaving. He raised hi

ac

er head to the side. A burning sting bloomed across her skin, a

ned her head b

he quickly masked it with rage. "You made me

laugh bubbled up from her

ain, trying to assert dominance,

was done

ry of his past intimidations threatened to paralyze her. But hot on its heels came a surge of long-repressed, blistering rage. She was done cower

he grabbed his wrist, pivoting her hips, and

her hip and slamme

h

ing out of his lungs. He lay there, star

crying, her mou

he stairs, her ey

ushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked down a

, Darius Hardy," Emma sai

Sophie. The child

with him," Emm

alked out the front door, le