eeks

Outside, police sirens wailed down the dirty street, the s

the wall. She held a piece of stale, cold bread in her h

local news channel was doing a live broadcast from Times Square

Ellyn's eyes caught th

al. He was surrounded by a wall of men in bla

nd a woman wearing oversized sunglass

his face was something Ellyn had never see

of the screen flashed: Hudso

mach violen

ain. She dropped the bread. She shoved the chair b

bathroom and dropped to her kn

e coated her tongue. She gripped the edge of the p

e whispered to herself. "

face in the mirror was pale, her eyes sunken. The fake s

deadbolt, and hurried out into the

own CVS pharmacy. The fluoresce

er. A heavy-set Black woman in a wh

h," Ellyn said, her English ras

t her stomach, and raised an eyebrow. She reached under

rack and grabbed a small blue box

pharmacist said gently. "But you mig

box. There was a pictur

Her mind violently flashed back to the penthouse. Th

stantly star

bill on the counter, grabbed the

the bathroom door behind her. Her hands shook so badly she tor

s. She set the plastic stick

nst her eyes until she saw stars. The ticking of the cheap pl

e mi

ds. She opened her eyes and

akable pink lines

toilet lid. Her hands instinctively flew to her

the baby. He would rip her child away to secure the Hudson bloodline,

ack for two weeks finally broke free. She cr

down only las

er sleeve. Her eyes hardened into ste

from her pocket. She dialed the on

"Ellyn?" an old, r

ed out, biting her li

, child? That

ot accepted into a design school in Paris. I'm going to start

on the other end. "Paris

e said. "I'll call

ed laptop and she used the last of her cash to book a red-eye flight

ncy test from the sink, wrapped it in layers of toilet paper, a

hood up and rus

, a black SUV idled across the street. A man in the

ic

mera and dialed a number. "Sir, the tar

e placed a protective hand over her stomach, vowing to the un