er hands were shaking, not from sadness, but fro

polite chime, but a fra

ia Sterling pushed past her b

e a tornado. Wayne and Jessica followed her in, crowd

," Patricia spat. "I heard y

und. "This is tres

sound. "Trespassing? My son pays the ren

s chest. "Sign the waiver, Lana. Or I sue you for theft

It was a joke. A terrify

back. "Don't waste your breath. Orphan

of mushroom soup Lana had left on the ent

cia muttered. "Ju

bbed th

ne started, but

The creamy, brownish liq

s scalding hot, and a sharp sting bloomed across her skin. It seeped into the

. The wire holding her compos

scream. She

r of ice water sitting

g, wiping a drop of

rew the

tered against her forehead. Her mascara ran instantly,

gh, piercing sound that

oared. He lunged at L

grabbed the heavy stainless steel ladle from the ta

d metal hitting bone ec

d. He looked at Lana with wide, shocked

forward and

th a sound like a pistol shot. Her h

ca screamed. She trie

yes felt wide, unblinking. "You want some t

er the edge of the rug. She landed

tcase toward the do

icia screeched, clutching h

!" Lana

door opened d

. She grabbed Wayne's arm

the door, trippin

reets by next week, Lana!" W

the door. The

hit the floor. Her chest heaved. Her skin burned red wh

ed on the floo

Whitney, Way

icked to the cu

en. Her breathing slowe

ad anymore.