apartment. She kicked off her black stilettos, lea

the master bathroom and reached into the glass shower enclo

r blasted from th

te steam quickly filled the room. Through the haze, she looked at th

jagged cross of a scar cu

emperature twisted in her brain. It didn't feel like hot

ight of her eighteenth birthday. The heavy b

e dress, walking toward Emerson with her heart fu

k in his eyes wasn't love. It was a di

y," Emerson's voice echoed in her memory, loud enou

ing laughter of the socialites stab

shock. Someone in the c

he massive, ten-tier champagne tower. The sound of h

nto her back. Warm blood instantly soaked throu

looking down at her. He didn't reach out a hand. Instead, he wrapp

wn her legs. She stumbled out of the club, running

he blinding headlights of a massive freight truck swerving in

thick, metallic smell of

d violently twisted the water off. She stood there, gripping the e

y mint toothpaste onto the bristles and shoved it into her mouth. She b

illed her mouth. But t

ppermint. No cooling

ly at her reflection. She remembered the cold, clinica

he car crash that followed only served to seal her past in a tom

of taste

ounded on the

eper, called out softly. "I brough

htly around her waist. She took a deep breath, rearranged he

ing a steaming mug. Jer

sive gulp of the scalding, pitch-black liquid

w wrinkling with worry. "That roast is incred

. She offered Gladys

oothly. "I actually love how rich an

ck to the kitchen. She had no idea that Jerri was drin

rest of the coffee down the drain. She rinsed the mu

g room. She looked down at the glittering lights of Manhatt

her phone and

Jerri ordered. "If the Oneal Gro