as she stood on the sidewalk. She hailed a Yellow Ca

her bones. The cab drove her back to the Upp

de into the keypad and push

light came from a thin, yellow sliver shining fr

t across the thick Persian rug, heading toward the kitchen. She neede

allway leading to the ma

door. It was a heavy, muffled panting,

e feet froze

same voice that had screamed at her and sla

Her hands began to

ngers pressing against the slight

er veins turne

e bed, her mother, Jayne, was wearing a sheer silk

ai Hospital. Her father, Garfield, was lying there right now,

e, violent na

all the way. It slammed again

e scrambled backward, pulling the heavy

. He tied the belt around his waist and turned to look at Jaelyn

haking hand, pointin

attering in the quiet room. "How could you b

't even blush. She smoothed her me

night, Jaelynn. Grow up," Jayne snapp

nside Jaely

eavy, crystal perfume bottle off the vani

gainst the wall, exploding into a

bbed a fistful of Jaelynn's

ard onto the h

round. The sharp shards of broken glass

ter. Instead, she sighed loudly. "You're bleed

ng up in her palms. She looked up at her mother. She finally sa

d Jaelynn's jaw, his fingers p

a cruel, ugly sound. "Your mother and I moved the assets mo

kruptcy wasn't a market failure. It was a

cket. He opened an email and shoved

from Mount Sinai Hospital.

e, and spread your legs for him," Artie whispered maliciously, "

y a suffocating, paralyzing terror. Her father's life was i

the headboard, lookin

voice cold and practical. "A woman's body

ow. They severed the last str

t a dry, b

ushed herself up off the floor, igno

hem with dead, hollow eyes

urned around and walked o

ntered her own bedroom, and

he hit the floor. She pulled her knees to her chest, burie

or exactly

e red, but the weakness was gone. Only a bu

her Chanel bag and pulled out the slig

Vale

trash. But he was the only monster big enough to drag A

clock. She slid the business card under her pillow and lay down in