ng with air so violently it fe

. She expected to feel the cold plastic of a s

ipped high-thread-count

didn't recognize immediately. The room was silent,

her head

arm up to a broad, muscular shoulder. On the nightstan

sleeping n

thing deeply, his chest rising and fall

fterlife? Hell? A cruel drea

d out. Her foot connec

combat stance before his eyes were even fully open. He sat

he table. He secured it over his face in on

lready?"

e of the tyrant, the man she had lived with for thr

heart pounding against her

heets. She rushed to the bathroom and slamm

r face, gasping. She stared a

looked younger, less tired. H

nter. Her fingers trembled so much she dr

ber 14

l tiles. A laugh bubbled up in her throat, hyst

r months. Florene had been laying the groundwork, manipulating finances, isolating her. The clock wasn't just ticking; it had already been running for a long time

iggered a

the door interr

uietly," Hiram said through the wo

hand to her mouth

he mirror again. The fear began to reced

ad. She had a

ilk pajamas. A new

the door an

oning a crisp white shirt. His back was

uperimposed the image of the weeping m

vowed silently. And I will find out