er on the floor

ned fury. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. Arlena saw the shift in his posture, th

," he snarled, not tak

of the old, practiced sorrow still clinging to her features-before her jaw tightened and she turned the deadb

s' funeral. The way Dale had managed their estate. The way her trust fund had mysteriously dwindled. The way they had left her with not

ntinued stream of curses. "This was never about Brandi. It was about my parents' trust. Y

iracy was now laid bare, hanging in the sterile air between them. They couldn't comprehend how she

pletely. "You need to be taught a lesson," he roared, his voice bouncing

lun

redicted. A clumsy, teleg

covering her eyes with one hand as if too terrified to watch. But Arlen

ick-fingered and meaty, reached for her t

flinch. She

ithin inches of he

in a single, fluid arc. The movement was economical

oints plunged into the back

et crunch as the blades

was a sound of pure, animal pain. He recoiled, clutching his hand,

y bitch, you stabb

with the leg of the metal medical cart. It toppled over with a deafening crash of steel and

ed, her bare feet landi

h her," Arlena spat, her voice drippin

d a trembling finger at Arlena, her face a mess of horror

eyes were on the door. H

mo

to block the way. "You're not goi

her aside with surprising force. "Get out of my way," she snarled. "You

ellowing that he was going to call th

aggressors who had locked her in. It was their word against he

or open and burst o

rridor were blinding. The air smelled dif

look back

Her hospital gown, open at the back, billowed be

row they'd taken, her immune system shattered. She'd shuffled. She'd crawled. She'd been a resource they'd used up and discarded, a blood bag that had serve

was running on her own two f

orner, a figure st

ll of this. She looked pale and wan, but he

d, reaching out to grab the sleeve of her

tact was a spark

ct too

swung her elbow back, hard, connecting

She doubled over, stumbling back and falling to

n, always expected, always received. The girl who was willing to ru

knew what the doctors said. You knew it could cripple m

ound the corner. They saw Brandi on the floor and Arlena sta

side, a united front o

ou did!" Bre

this!" Grandma

, just pointed at her, his face

A pack. And she was

and their poison. She walked toward the eleva

d open. She s

m, she caught her reflection in the polished stee

lood on h

ee