black streaks on the pristine pavement. The valet attendant, a young man in a burgundy u

n the door. She shoved it open

she commanded, he

opulent gold and beige decor blurring in her periph

e concierge, slamming her hand on

it looked painful, blinked slowly. "I'm afraid I can

ing his phone. If you do not give me that room number, I will scream. I will scream so loud that every guest in this lobby will know that The Pierre harbors adulte

her keyboard. "Mrs. Sterling... I... He is

nk y

ers ticked upward-10, 20, 30-each one a heartbeat skipping in her chest. She stared at th

i

y lined with thick, sound-dampening carpet that swallowed

2

he first time, her body betrayed her. Her hand shook violently. Inside, she cou

't have

icked and s

enty-two. She wore a white hotel bathrobe that hung loosely

ock in her eyes. No shame. Her lips

d, turning her head back toward the room

voice floated from t

ed around his waist, water droplets gliste

e saw

ooked like a corpse. His eyes went wide, dar

His voice

world tilted. A high-pitched ringing filled her ears. Without thinkin

st in mid-air. His gr

y morphing into anger. "What the hell ar

her throat. She tried to wrench her arm free. "You are sl

nervously down the hallway. "This is... this

"Do not lie to me. Not now.

e destruction of a marriage with the boredom of someone watching a rerun. She delibera

ist. "You're hysterical. You're imagining things. Go hom

h to knock her down, but hard enou

e," he

lammed the do

at the wood grain, gasping for air. He hadn't apologized. He

ruised. She collapsed against the back wall of the elevator as it descended, sliding down until she

r keys. She couldn't drive. She couldn't see. She walked blin

ne rang

b escaping her lips. "It's

oice was frantic. "Wher

lena whispered. "

he King Cole Bar. It's six blocks away. Sit

d and gritty. Every step sent a jolt of pain up her legs as small pebbles and city debris dug

to another world of luxury she no longer felt part of. She found a d

d the waiter. "Dir

from the pain in her chest. She looked around the room at the suits and the cockt

, her hair windblown. She spotted Elena and

a whispered into her

now. The sadness had burned off, leaving o

voice flat, dead. "I want to destr

eyes watched them. The man didn't move, didn't blink. He just swirled the