an who had been a terror in the kitchen but a true

ned," Antoine' s gruff voi

I have a spot for you in my kitchen. Come work for me. We start over." For a moment, a tiny flicker of hope ignited

and faint hope, when a black SUV screeched to a halt beside him. The pa

e Ethan could react, Julian threw the contents of a champagne flute directly in his face. The cold, bubbly li

f the car. They surrounded him, pushing him back towards a narrow, garbage-strewn alleywa

" he screamed, his voice echoing off the brick walls. "She said you threatened

re in stunned silence. He had poured his life savings and five years of his l

riends shoved him hard, Ethan shoved back, sending the boy stumbling into a pile of trash bags. But the brief satisfaction was short-lived. He wa

en read 'Chloe' . A crazy, desperate thought shot through his mind: she knows, she's c

being a protective brother. He's upset. If you just apologize to him for hara

ave him. She was calling to control him, to manage the scene, t

, muffled but clear. It was Richard Sterling. "Is everything handled, darling?

sn't a rescue; it was the final act of humiliation. She wanted him to know that she was the one pulling the strings, that she had the po

ven try to

to resist

rst of pain through his head. A boot slammed into his ribs, and he felt a sharp, crackin

l, tasting blood and bile in his mouth. The physical pain was immense, but it was distant, a dull echo of the profound, s