the doors slid shut, she saw Liam running towards her, his face pale with worry. Behin

breathing. She caught her reflection: hair a mess, makeup smeared, her

e of it all, still glittered mocki

d. She bolted out, running through the l

the hospital entrance, staring at the handc

desperate force, she jammed the sharp edge into the tiny screw slot and

click, scraping against her skin bef

ned, got into her car, and sped away, leaving

ed by the commotion, had settled Annabel back

elevators. "Liam? What are you doing h

contain. He remembered his sister's pleading eyes and swallowed his anger. "My si

, erratic behavior. "What is she playing at now?

ack. The doctor says it's just a standard case of pediatric pneumonia. He's

sound life-threatening. With the boy's situation under control, Hi

g near the entrance caught his eye. He walked over

mangled and stripped, the surrounding gold gouged as

, watched him rush inside, and thrown a petulant fit because she wasn't the center of attention. He

g around the bracelet, his eyes cold. He decided he would have a serious

guest room, threw herself onto the bed, and pulle

mbs. Her head throbbed with a dull ache,

r, she heard

hing to even out, feigning sleep. She couldn'

st room turned. It stop

n, the distinct sound of a key

y went rigid

. She could feel his gaze on her, scrutinizing, judging. She could smell the faint, antise

d she tasted blood, fi

parently satisfied by her "steady" b

he felt it was pointless to

The heavy click of diamond against polished wal

open. A silent, powerful statement: there was n

pen her eyes. She turned her head and looked at the bra

lly began to fall, soaking