wood and stale beer. Water dripped from a rusted pipe

into a lead-lined safe hidden behind a loose cinder block in the wa

sely off my frame. I stood in front of the cracked bathroom mirror and rubbed

analog radio, and cranked the volume to mask

torn sofa, pulled my knee

rable walls of The Aerie, Apollo Bu

ge on a loop. He saw my hunched, p

tant, irritating heat. He hated women. Their scent, their touch, the

en, he felt nothing but a

desk. "The Nobody. Orphan. Evicted twice. Currently drowning in debt

at the file. He l

ries echoed. "I want th

ened. He stood up,

he heavy, synchronized hum of armored eng

start shaking. I grabbed a rusted kitchen knife from

ed down the concr

Bang

ts frame. Dust rain

inges. It slammed into the wall. Three men in tacti

dull knife out in front of me, tears instantly

ped through

looked around the squalid room, his upper lip c

ed. His voice was a low, vibra

corner. "I don't have the money! Please, just give me anothe

hated the sound of crying women. Yet, t

out a crisp check. The number written on it was a

red terror. I didn't reach for it. I shrank back f

to the room, his expensive leather shoe

l dominance of his body triggered my combat instincts. Every muscle

ek until I tasted copper,

d down and gr

wrapped entirel

ched mine, Apollo froze

vanished. The violent noise in his head went dead silent. A

ling hand, then up at

he knife. It clattered against th

een burned. He took a staggering step backwa

sgust was gone. It was replac

voice suddenly thick and uneven. "Y

f my hand. I looked up at him through my m