ssa's

rek's voice dropped low, icy to t

to Alondra-fake tears on her cheeks, but t

ing every word. "I hope a gallery pi

k fr

d expected screaming, cursing, a desper

o ensure I'd leave the marriage with nothing. I hadn't yielded an inch. His family threw us

m the cold, to put Derek through his finance degree. N

e back then, because I

thing at all, because to me,

aight past Derek, and stepped into the elevator. He stood rooted in the middle of the hallway

a twenty-dollar-a-night mote

ittle storefront on Grand Street. The landlord

oncrete space with its large picture window. "Twelve hun

aid. "I can pay the

ard. He ran it through

et out a hars

declined: ac

business, savings, personal checking-showed a balance of zero, topped

rom Derek popped

ike a good girl and take care of Alondra, and I'll u

seconds, then blocked his numbe

," I said quietly. "I'll

n cash. That was w

ed McNeil's Tavern-a cheap neighborhood bar with a ne

y bar. Finlay had grown up with me in the same foster home in Queens. He was thic

took in my thin camisole and the bruising aro

nts," I said shortly. "Ca

pped it around my shivering shoulders, led me into the back room, found me a pair of t

y said firmly. "I'll set up the f

mugs, bussing tables until two in the morning. My hands ached from being

a customer in the bar, three black

oor, and behind them came Derek, wearing an expe

grabbed their jackets and

a," Derek said, strolling to

plied coldly, wipin

Derek snapped. "Alondra's morning sickness is terrible. She

expected his lawful wife to go back and pl

going,"

s jaw clenching hard. He flicked

k ordered, his v

ellowed, yanking a wooden baseball bat from un

ay's hands and brutally twisted his arm behind his back; the othe

shed onto the wooden floorboards, blo

down my towel and trying desp

my waist and hauled me ba

dka crashed to the floor, and the sharp reek of spirits flooded the room. They kicked the legs off the

's collar, sobbing, begging. "

d smile playing at the corner of his mouth. He raise

and take care of Alondra

y, lying in a poo

out. "I'll go! Tell

nd, and the thugs

's blood with a grinding crunch. He pressed a kiss to my cheek

about covering the damages, then

River through the window. Seven years ago, on those very banks, Derek had

an holding my

use, Derek shoved

"And remember-no onions, under any circu

hands wouldn't stop shaking, but I peeled and

living room, Alondra was sitting

a thick portfol

International Art Biennale. I had spent eight months, day and night, creating

vy pair of kitchen shears in h