l sick. I instinctively tightened my grip on my purse, my fingers finding the fa

ad," he announced, walking towards me with renewed

lish part of me felt a flicker of doubt. Maybe he was just a cluele

ned the live

her flowers

e's a g

sist flowers. S

him now, she's

rm. My mind flashed to a news article I'd read a few months ago. A string of robberies where the perpetrators used flowers

the roses were

d, my voice low and shaking wi

ming facade was cracking, reveal

longer for the camera, but just for me. "Just

d, standing up and bac

his voice becoming theatrical again, playi

rent from the roses, hit my nostrils. It was almost imperceptible, but it was there. At the s

urred, my own voice sounding distant and

o "steady" me. "Whoa there

rror cutting through the fog in my brain. "I'm callin

wasn't expecting this. His script didn't include a victim who fought b

opping the bouquet. The roses sc

ed out the glass doors and

whole body trembling. But the relief was fleeting. The dizziness was getting worse. The floor seeme

ngers clumsy and unresponsive. I managed to wake the screen. Th

rugged, and I had no

wall for support. I had to get to the security desk at the other end of the b

slid open. Chad w

f the elevator, a cold, predatory smile on his face. He'd just ci

s voice dripping with mock

en lobby suddenly felt like a tra

is. He had waited for me t

failing me. He stepped out of the ele

ue. The sharp, metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth. The pai

g for his head. He ducked, but the bag caught him on the shoulder. In that spl

I didn't have the strength to aim properly. I just turned and pre

n and rage, claw

t I crawled, dragging myself towards the main security desk a

omebody,