s we stepped through the hosp

he mafia-crested cufflink on the hot spring locker. The muffled sou

turned her head slightly, her gaze traveli

breathed. The word bare

hollow. Comp

my hand and

father call her name. "Sophia!" The sin

't break

carried the cloying scent of cheap perfume faili

he living room sofa. He stood over he

keeping

ion. An abs

he told her, his tone clinical, detached. "Elena's

him. Her expressio

romised, leaning back as if offering some grand compromise. "You'll maintain yo

illed the

the man she'd sacr

," sh

s eerie. Unn

alked over, gave me a brief pat on the head, took h

droom. She opened the locked bottom drawer and pulled out a thic

mething fierce and certain. "We're going to live

time in months, a quie

ght. The next morning, we were packing our suitca

ering crash s

hinges. His face was twisted into somethin

ded on the luggage. On my mother's calm

eavy arc. The crack of flesh against fl

itting the words at her. "She was assaulted