pte

Who Was

him apart li

e courtroom, but I didn't care. Let the

face. My chest heaved with every breath, my heart hammering against my ribs. Dozens

knew wh

, but I forced the words out. "H

shed over me, raw

d of fles

his body

o weak, gurgling gasps b

hut, shoving the imag

mach twisting. The man who had d

. At

hing more than a m

yself to me

l into place without effort, sharp cheekbones that made

his e

es wer

, they looked unnatural. Too light. To

of all-he

as he watched me. Like I w

of anger bur

d, my voice steadier this ti

r a moment. Then someon

awled up

uttered under my breath. The

ss from my dad. The next, he was there. Too

e. "Your Honor, she's a child. It's not unusual for a tee

p!" My voice cracked with frustration. "His eyes glowe

the room. Someone whispered

e beli

throat nearly choking me. My han

of her nose. She glanced at the pape

t's when

y what she was

s's age, the court finds the defendant," sh

gui

re I heard it, the slow scrape

ire bod

moving.

my neck stood on end as

f to stay still

he space between us, his movements slow and measured. L

in the ski

is breath ghosti

as quiet. Too quiet. A warning. A promise. "S

ed on a

kind. Not gent

way, as if none of this matt

fingers dug into the railin

n I

. I didn't remember bursting through the

inally stoppe

shook so badly I could ba

en, shoving things as

v

e last week. Pressed it i

ver happens, if I start

dn't

ould

r. No bags. No clothes. Just the desperate

agged the first taxi I saw. "

a strange look but n

ill trembled. My mind raced, tr

into the side m

lowed behind us, keepi

ed. My fingers cu

art pounding, and pee

elt

watching me, his lip

river, my throat t

sped up,S

as I stumbled out. My fingers fumbled with my boarding pass. I

ed to get on

ting. I clenched my ticket so

umber. I stepped forward, my che

near the

chin

s eyes locke

move. Didn'

ust s

, he lifted a hand and made

ead through