line

old brass handle of the suite door when a crystal

al

s Command. My bare feet fused to the carpet instantly, the muscles in my calves locking up

ompulsion with everything I had. My fingernails dug into the wooden doorfra

I refused to look back, my voice c

h every step he took, the air grew thinner, his shadow stretc

the heat of his body radiating through the t

me you

ted my head over my shoulder, forcing my

in in desperate defiance. "Because you and I are never

and wrapped around the nape of my neck, his fingers sliding around to press against the frantic

oice dropping to a lethal rumble as his warm breath brus

her rotting in that sanatorium gave me a reckless bur

to do? Lock me in

ly, his fing

n me and walking toward the window. "A

s snapped. I wrenched the heavy do

jeans over my legs, tucked his oversized white shirt into the waistband, stepped into a pair of flat sneakers, twisted my tangled hair i

mashed the lobby button ten times in a row, my heart ham

head, pulling the edges of the men's shirt tight around

nto the blinding morning sun, throwing a ha

he rear door open, shoved my suitcase onto the seat,

" I gasped out, my chest he

as pedal, merging into t

vanished. I slumped back against the seat, pulling my bruised k

t every breath I took was still filled with the crisp,

lock out the memory of his rough han

the Atlantic, I would lock last nig

al. I shoved a wad of crumpled bills through the partition without waiting for

nk and splashed freezing tap water over my face. Looking up at the

pered to my reflection. "Your father is w

ed my oversized black su

a dull ache radiating between my legs, a cruel physi

re straight and handed my passport and boarding pass to the security

eball cap lowered a camera lens and slipped into the crowd. My