ht on the c

and with a satisfied smile before her tea

ris dropped his arm from Colette's waist. He stepped

a black silk square, and aggressively wiped

er cheek until she tasted iron. The humiliation bu

lence, heading down the long corrido

n a skin-tight, blood-red dress stepped ou

gins. Ellie's ol

rossing her arms. Her eyes raked over Colette's

hoing off the walls. "A convicted criminal

mentally exhausted her bones ached. She t

nk you won because you manipulated your way

Colette said, h

d forward. Her manicured hands grabbed the

anked

ii

e, slipping off Colette's shoulder and

lying up to cover her chest

ound. Without warning, Keira r

ac

te's cheek, right over the heavy

mmed hard against the carved wooden wainscoting of the hallway. Her

face. His jaw locked. He turned to Colette, his eyes narrowing into a lethal glare. "Stand exactly here. Do not move a sin

hed his broa

ere were no cam

the death of her father, the beatings, the humili

sted her torn strap with eerie calmness.

and to strike again. "What a

hips, and swung her arm with every oun

AC

eira's cheekbone with the

ed on the carpet, and she collapsed backward

her mouth open in shock before a piercin

vily. She looked down at the crying w

spered, her voice shaking wit

nd pushed open the