and the beeping of machines pu

eing rushed down a s

voices, muffl

actures... needs su

tor, talking

voice, a soft, insidi

that it's the most romantic gift. A man giving a woman a piece o

ed theat

sk for something so precious, e

old. I knew wh

plied, a low, automatic resp

d teasing. "I would never want you to hurt yourself

ed, his voice thick with an emotion that made me

me harder than

after I fell off my bike and scraped my knee. He had carried me all the way

t of the three. Th

I had

a placeholder until someone bett

earn his praise. I remembered tolerating Keira's petty cruelties, he

ears slid from the corners of m

it couldn't numb the pain. Not the physical

voice again, sharp

any of her rib

Graham. On h

was a

ce, devoid of all w

one

hocked. "Mr. Graham?

n ribs," Jackson stated flatly. "I'm giving it to

bones will heal on their own. There's no medic

ian in this matter. You will do as I say, or I will personally see to it that t

a choked

, Mr. G

ra's sweet, pois

ut... what if Brooklyn fin

othed her. "I'll make sure of it

d ever

e, soul-des

mutilate me for her. He would take a piece of my body, a pie

t age twelve, he had held my hand the entire time at the hospit

her

rt felt like it was being s

but my body was too heavy, my

letely black was the cold, sterile air of the op