annah started h

reluctantly returned after the hospital in

her, Beau, a

. Beau pushing Charlotte on a swi

, Beau smiling at Sav

stab, designed to show me what I

f domestic bliss, delivere

didn't hurt as much as

ver me, a protective lay

at Savannah' s possessive gaze, and felt a di

f someone else' s life, a trag

as tired o

tered into so many pieces t

h used the l

at the main house. Come get it if you stil

mother's

n ignited within me. That locket was my last

a trap, but

ux mansion, my steps

, lounging on a velvet chaise, the locket glin

"So, you came crawling bac

as laced wi

o the floor in

oking her still-flat stomach. "He massages my feet e

to taunt me, ba

y. And you know what wo

gleamed w

sed, for upsetting Beau, for threatening my child. Then, m

shed over me,

is woman, this arc

dmother' s face, her warm

e, the bitter taste

my knees on the

ked out, the words

xpression one of pure,

ocket, dangling it

irl," s

smile tu

, she brought the locket down har

ening

my grandmother' s initials, den

et. Des

ed cry es

ther's love, lay broken at my feet,

e than I c

, and raw, agonizing g

nt, the drawing-ro

owed closely by Au

aces we

knees, tears streaming down my fa

mediately t

in feigned terror

ck, clutching

!" she cried, her

me, and when I wouldn't let her, she... she t

the broken locket. "She broke

ce. A perfect

aux' s face tur

s me, his eyes b

ions. He didn't wai

and struck me har

ck, the impact sen

loded in

and satisfied. "She's a menace, Aug

y arm, hauling me

re bring your gutter behavior into my ho

p was l

orward, her eyes

ght a lesson, August

soft, but fill

. Make sure she understands th

au, my last, d

is eyes darting between me, his p

yes, the flicker of doubt,

was f

avannah, then

, he tur

e, on the truth, on eve

s consent. His ina

scaped me, a har

ever believe in him, to ever

n. Their world had no pl

o large, burly

y arms, their

uggle. What

, like my grandmother'

from the room,

ont steps, I remembered Beau'

lips on mine, p

was a fresh w

onto the street, li

on the rough pavement, my palm

. Bruised.

ood before me, a monument to t

t. He didn't even l

is choice. An

tarted, the New Orl

wn, soaking me to t

rain washing away my tears, o

Charlotte home in the comfort of his

into my bones. I start

robbed, my

g sick, I co

partment Beau had once provided for me,

a building his family owned

g, I heard voices from the main hou

oice, sof

nah' s, c

len, Beau. Pregnancy

intimacy that was

me rub them for you, da

tle act for her, the tenderness in h

ng nights singing at the club. It w

it wa

stumbled inside, collapsing onto

knock. It

was unr

said, his voice flat

comfort, just a

t want you getting the children

d outside my bedroom

the click of a

locke

. To protect his precious new family f

omplete. I was a p