nds of tiny glass shards. Within seconds, the thin gray cleaner

oken asphalt tore at the soles of her feet with every step. She couldn't feel the pain.

, freezing water splashed half a meter into the air, drenching Deanna from the waist down. She did

o. But her muscle memory, driven by a desperate need for the only safe place she had ev

left faint, watery bloody footprints on the

cliffs. She stood at the rusted, br

ned crater of charred support beams and collapsed stone. The beautiful mar

crushing her lungs. Deanna's knees gave out. She collapsed into the freezing mud. She du

agony that she didn't hea

stepped out from the shelter of a collapsed stone archway.

let out a low, sleazy whistle. The three of them fanned ou

head snapped up. Her eyes, red and hollow, locked on

. He looked down at her soaked clothes, his eyes lin

king for a good time out in the rain, sweetheart?" He reached

ealing the hospital logo

on. "She's a runaway crazy bitch from the rich

ir. He yanked her head back, exposing her throat. "Give

l, cold focus washed over her. Her right hand slid through the mud, her

nswer. He reached his free hand dow

tened her grip on the glass and

iced deep across t

g backward. He clutched his arm, dark blood spur

then their faces twisted in fury. "You d

her shoulders down. She thrashed wildly, kicking and biting, but he

st, aiming directly for her face. Deanna squeezed h

ever

hoed through the rain, followed in

e the thug who had been pinning her fly through the air. He crashed into a cha

thug stood fro

assive, towering silhouette stood in the dar

posture was perfectly straight, radiating an overwhelming, suffo

ipped out a switchblade, screamin

the blade was inches away. Then, his left hand shot out like a stri

louder than the thunder. The thug

otion, he slammed the heavy metal butt of the knife into the base of the

ten seconds. It was a display of

owly, his heavy combat boots squelching

cross the sky, illuminating the ruin

Deanna saw his sharp jawline, his cold, unblinki

t stopped dea