TER

's

she said and emptied the g

Valentino said, leaning i

a job again," her husband barked to the guard, who wasted no tim

ered three violent kicks to my body be

ding back trickled dow

. He was the only thing I had lef

est shaking with every breath. I stood there for a while, staring at

night breeze on my wet clothes, the s

wal

ep heavier than the last. The heels I wore cut into my sk

felt longe

head was starting to feel strange-light, but heavy a

nk it away, but the dizziness just got worse. My stomach tu

did

to sit. The road came rushing up toward me, and all

verything

s open to low, f

in my ears. I turned my head to see

I?" I aske

in the evening," she explained, and I blinked again, trying t

s, my mother's cold eyes, Val

p so fast my head spun. Pain shot through

oving closer, but I pulled back, m

have I been here?

ne else found you." She pointed to an older man sitting quietly in the

tened. I had less than eight

. The way he'd smiled at me, even with fear in his eyes. If

"Thank you-thank you for h

man finally spoke, his voice

don't care if I'm bleeding, I don't care if I

nds gentle but firm on my shoulders. "At

were dry, my throat tight, and I knew every second

e," I rasped before grab

he said and slipped a $

this wasn't the time to be weak

pping my hands to make sure the c

and handed the ca

l smirk on his face shifted to something

eyes lingered on my drenched clothes and

asked, sliding int

" I said, my

ror. "You sure you wanna go there? It's...

e me. I alm

repeated, my voice

of the taxi's suspension. My fingers fidgeted with the $200 note in my pocket, but my mind

t me like a wall-thick with the smell of oi

the gown I'd been wearing for almost two days

, selling my b