oke, but the heavy, pressurized silence of deep water. Calla pressed herself against

ce. The flashbulbs of the paparazzi were nonexi

he numbers climbed, Calla's stomach dropped. The reality of th

out, her legs wobbling. She reach

the floo

s, the other around her back. It wasn't romantic.

und his neck to keep from falling. Her fingers brushed the coars

past the floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased the glitteri

ed her o

ir fanning out around her. The room was freezing. The air c

tie. His movements were slow, methodical. Zip. Slide. He p

kward, her heels di

led up. "Everyone says... I mean, Francis t

flinks. Click. One gold link hit the nig

he asked. His voice w

a pulled her knees to her chest. "Uncle, if you

emperature in the room seemed

ng, the next he was over her, his knees bracketing her hips

you I can'

eaked. "He said yo

hed across Christ's face. A

like it was a curse. "You li

ardian! He

ed, his voice dropping to a g

la expected him to yell.

s with a bruising force. He tasted of anger. Calla tried to turn her head, to

dice of her dress. The sound of expensive fa

the sound muff

in. His chest was heaving. The mask of the col

d from her eyes, hot tracks

stop. He reached out, his thumb brushing away a droplet on her cheek.

t," he

Calla

'Husb

She shook her head, her hair

aw tighten

, no kindness. When he entered her, Calla arched her back, a silent scream trappe

asure and everything to do with possession. He watched her face the ent

inst her sweat-dampened forehead

he had feared since childhood now dismantling her piece by piece. The da