d sterile alcohol burn

oklyn Public Hospital's Intensive Care Unit. She hadn't slept f

e a hollowed-out shell. Tubes snaked down his throat and into his arms.

r. He didn't look her in the eye. He ju

tly. "If the funds aren't in the syst

trembled. Fifty thousand dollars.

the hallway, pushing open the hea

one. She scrolled through her contacts, staring at

door at the bottom of th

echoed up the

eap cigar smoke flo

an from the black Range Rover. Two massive men in

k hit the cold concrete wall. Her he

her face. His eyes slowly dragged up and down her body, stripping her n

folded, thick legal document. He tossed it.

civil resti

oth flashing in the dim light. "That's what the judge said your

her voice shaking with rage. "He wa

ck and laughed. The sou

minimum wage is gonna beat

pped instantly.

ed Annette's jaw. His fingers dug into her s

or business. You're smart, you're beautiful, and you owe us. This is a way for you to pay your debt in full. You do

ted. She raised her hands and sho

Annette spat, wiping her ja

es turned

eading to the ICU. "Without my money, he dies lik

fingernails bit into her pal

ping to a deadly whisper. "I would rather borrow from the de

twisted into

ammed it into the concrete wal

. A jagged piece of stone sliced across Annette's cheekbone. A th

flinch. She s

touched hers. "You have twenty-four

down the stairs, hi

ell fell d

oncrete step. She pressed her hands over her face

aggressively. She p

had sworn she would never call. A number fo

twice. A gruff

l suicide. They wanted the deed to her rundo

letely dead. "I accept the terms. I

rom her cheek, and walked out of the stairwell. She ha