ccasional flash of lightning tearing across the Pennsylvania sky. Arie

ve engine roar cut throu

s the wet asphalt, its tires shrieking as they lost traction. The car fishtailed a

er window h

ting against the smell of wet earth and exhaust. Kimora leaned across the l

ice dripping with fake pity. "Look a

e strap of her heavy bag on her shoulder and stepped off the asphal

ed the driver's side door open and stepped out into the st

jogging around the h

ed fingers inside, pulled out a crumpled one-dollar bill, and sh

o just an inch. The dollar bill hit her wet sleeve and flutte

ttered. Kimora's upper lip curled, exposing

travel up Kimora's body. She bypassed the designe

er the strap of her dress, was

ropping to a dead, hollow octave. "The needle

eft arm as if she had been burned. She stumbled back, her

feral. She needed to regain control. She need

solo violin concert at Lincoln Center next week. Preston bought out the first three

d, slowly pulling up into a smile that didn't reach her

mora froze, pinned in place by t

il her lips were an i

e notes rolling off her tongue with terrifying pr

Her skin turned the color of ash. That was

girl's ear. "Check the back of the original manuscript. You'll find

ical scream tore from her thr

acrylic nails aiming str

up, deflecting Kimora's wrist with a sharp, calculated stri

e Porsche. The mirror folded inward with a loud crack. Kimora slid down the

her, "make sure you know how to hold it. Otherwise, you'

A beat-up yellow taxi cab rattled down the

back on Kimora an

h the rain-streaked window, his eyes darting between

eavy rear door and slid o

mming her palms against the glass. "If you tell anyone!" she shriek

he window down e

k," she s

plexiglass di

s spun, kicking up a massive spray of dirty water that hit

get home before they shut everything down, but the state police blocked the main interstate. Now I'm stuck out here. Might as

ag. She pulled out a crisp, dry hundred-dollar b

hed it, his mout

phantom scent of damp concrete and mold. She remembered the basement. She remembered the lock clicking shut, the

nerability was gone. Her pupils were pitch

And she was going to