an

e times when I he

st tongue, though it felt like

earlier; don't act like a dimwit." He growled

sh

pletely t

man who walked into my breakdown like he owned the air I was breathing

you

midair, cutting m

ice dropped-cold, precise, and commanding. "I'll settle your one hundred mil

ready decided everything long before

eft my face-not

ainst the grass impatiently, like patience

row

y did he t

napped, pushing myself to my

eady written in law. Then he tossed a stack of documen

was

ent something in

okay? Did you escape from somewhere– a mental hospital, maybe? Which sane man wal

offed. "You wa

darkened

ed lower. "Reject it, and stay chained to your debt. I'll find someo

nce

av

ocat

tightening, my thoughts sc

ee

d hit t

pain

was t

hispered again, bu

replied sharply. "A m

at the pa

e not int

marr

mouth before my br

dug them into my hair, my emotio

was i

ly in

th

wa

ne was enough to

cont

an

always felt lou

llowe

firmer this time, like sayin

eded

jumping into anot

gle line, I bent down

st

stro

o

elt like I was sealing away the l

, my breathi

e married. I'm Channel Blackwood n

nt, he sai

h

able smirk for

sn't

sn't

contr

gotten exactly

lack card and pla

ear your debt. Take care of yourself. For

ye

in my mind longer

sk anything else

e car. You have two hours to memorize everyt

Royce, my world started

felt h

ang

to someone else's lif

y hands wasn'

s ide

swers. In

to s

to

the around

st without

e a layer of me wa

st tig

muttered und

, lo

wan sen

slowed s

t look at me

tened on the

u," he said coldly. "I have noth

t belie

fu

ou know a

replied. "Everything

mach t

cou

umili

head

ch

me alon

.." I wh

clenche

just ruin m

ed my ruin as

ould fully consume me,

sto

oked

air

iv

ie

ens

caught in

we going?

already stepping out. "I don't st

lse j

life," he added flatly.

iden

hould have

ey felt lik

, my eyes fixed on t

ainst my skin, cold

ee

t I kept tel

n't feel l

like a t

ing I could

my heels clicking sof

lt louder th

loomed

ss

le

it

yb

may

beginning of

hing

eth

s suddenly

ion spread ac

visible had brush

owed withou

htened slightl

ind s

e I ima

t was j

ner

tching up to re

llowe

dn't

almost

st f

mo

ht there,

ce came

r this

os

cl

locked i

le muscle

y ribs, hard enough to hurt, hard en

o

no

voi

't belo

at an

av

api

ting

posed to be part

posed to b

he p

thing I was try

hat v

e it was right

ng so close I coul

oat we

fracture betwee

't

rn, it be

n, it mean

t if he

t my mind breaki

m finally

h turned

tly as if searching for

n was

t was

m was

behi

d like a shadow th

," I heard the unmistakabl

tly; my heart began thumpin