glass door shut and locked it, severing the suffocating luxury of the penthouse from

m the overhead rainfall shower, the

ng currents of the Hudson

agonizing hiss tore from her throat

hands flying up to

ning the edges of her vision.The metallic taste of blood

te, his phone pressed to his ear.His deep, soothing voice murmur

alls were heavi

rass handle. Suddenly, a sharp, piercing sound of a glass bottle shattering agai

led together. He lowered the phone, his pulse

rate gasp. The sound of s

brass door ha

as l

in his chest, followed immediately by an

drifted from the phone speaker.

apped his at

now," Franklin s

old glare at the lo

nother pathetic, manipulative perf

his heel an

ence heard the heavy foo

lunt knife, sawing through the v

violently on

den taste of copper grounded her, d

and slammed the

e marble sink, she haul

ranslucent, her lips bruised, a thin line of

and wrapped it tightly a

warmth in her ch

nklin pushed open the d

save for the moonlight s

r.She had changed into a sharp, black silk pa

k in his jaw. Her unnatura

hard. "You will formally apolog

ply picked up a thick document from the glas

to the bold legal jargon

contracte

n of Intent to Divo

of shock slamme

voice rising into a dangerous snarl. "Wh

o calm, so utterly devoid of him,

er voice flat. "I just want to terminate

with n

a physical slap ac

-the things he used to keep her in line-

k onto the table.The papers

s on the armrests of her chair, us

h hot against her face, "Dr. Alistair Chase's medical

nking.The corner of her mouth twi

family is none of your co

rrifying. An absolute, unshakable sense of contro

up abruptly, h

"If you walk out of this apartment, don

.She picked up her black

t even lo

wish," s

sharply against

ng him frozen in the dark, and h