onizing seconds before a dry, hyste

a joke. A sick, twi

e eyes narrowed dangerously. He just stood there, h

d in her throat. A chil

s ser

snapped, her surviva

nds against his solid chest, and tried to push hi

er path to the doorknob again. He looked

th. Top-tier social status. Absolute protection. You will never

d her eyes so

al schizophrenic or a re

ice dripping with sarcasm. "But I have to go to m

scent of cedar and mint completely e

calloused fingers lightly

shudder wrecked through Ca

away. The smack ech

by a lunatic whose name I d

right under his outstretched arm, grabbed the

ab her hair. She expec

he d

he room. A cold, calculating smirk pla

hallway. Her bare feet slap

peatedly, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She kept throwing terrified glan

erself inside and frantically jammed h

oors

vator car. Her chest heaved. A wave of immense relie

? You can't run through here-" But Caroline dodged him like a terrified animal, her bare feet skidding on the polished floor. She ignored the shocked gasps

her for a second. She ran to the curb and aggr

to a halt. She dov

off the address of her rundown apar

y traffic. Caroline melted i

ng hands, pulling out her phone to call the

rd until it hurt. She tried to piece together last night. Her r

dsome stranger sliding a shot of tequila

pping her head b

lding with peeling paint. The stark contrast

ottom of her bag, shoved them through t

oken heel of her shoe clacked loudly against the

she dropped her keys twice before

her cramped, messy, but familiar living

nd let her body fall heavily onto the cheap fabric s

are was over. She had escaped t