und me at the hotel, his face a dark st

lapp

heek stinging, my ear ringing. The shock was so p

rembling with rage. "Hannah almost died. She could

and started draggi

me?" I cried, strugg

said, his voice chillingly calm. "You

small, windowless storage closet. The space was tiny, fil

n the small space. "You know I can't... my cl

r of that experience had never left me. He was the one who used to hold me when I had nig

oor slammed shut, plunging me into abs

d against my ribs, a frantic, wild bird trapped in a cage. The

rushing back. I remembered him, my childhood friend, finding me after I was rescued

al laugh escaped m

rom the other side of the door, muffled and dist

ontrollably. The tears came, hot and fast

out! I'm sorry! Please!" I begg

nswered. "The boss says you're to

d he go?"

the worse. He's at the hosp

s wanted to see him.

nd of my own ragged breathing and the frantic drumming of my heart. I was eight years old again, trapped and te

I was in there. It f

g in the lock. The door swung open,

igures stood in the doorway. One was

r was my

ion, usually so warm and loving, hardened into something I had only seen once before-the day he

" my father asked, his

pain that mirrored my own. He gently wrapp

came out. I collapsed into my father's a

t consciousness was my father's voi

ce family off. No more information. No mo

g, letting him hang himself, for your sake, sweetheart. I want

on Cameron had gone, and

give him a wedding. A wedding he