n her neck s
Not cruel. Just
lay soft and white, moonlight spilling across them. A slight throbbing of her head, like a w
n she s
r lazily in her direction, his voice
tened. That wasn
d in Southern charm. A voice like h
ould right itself. But no. The ma
y eyes. But something shifted behind this man's smile. Somethi
ed silk sheets around her
e asked, vo
inned. "Wrong t
eart
her heart hammering, the subtle slide of f
en she
he carved wood of the bed frame. The man did not attempt to follow.
aped over the bedpost. She grabbed i
r. Too calm. Too close. Someone cleared
urned
man wa
he smell of expensive cologne hung in th
nd glistened i
g in her
r was ice under
It was a long corridor - an archive of old money and silence. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead 
't alone
itary fashion. The tie is already st
he said as if this
an archway, sipping tea wi
," Lorelei said
red her. "Whe
f a breath. "Still s
erson in my be
. "Champagne dreams, sweet
poke
can do
one. "It was him. Not
y be compensating your mind. Trauma
what I
ice thick with concern she did not feel. "Jet la
Her hand landed on the polished brass of
ck
cou
erfume. "Sometimes the mind protects us
h didn'
ocked door as if it
ed the name of the ma
his coffee as
egacy, and persuasion. A nauseating whiff of cold vetiver waft
no urgency. "Did
her sides. There wa
n placed it down. "Strange.
it was
nd does funny things w
" she said.
olled and deliberate. He rapped a knu
he said. "That's
ted to
di
ft the charg
d drawers. Her phone was dead. Her me
d for a box marked "Guest 4."
ore i
s. Paper. A ma
raph sli
entical. Sui
n of the Empire: Slade
d turned
he photo over
erit. One wi
the photo on
ed beneath it.
lied
t blink. "W
s in m
sed to be involved
in half. Cash's
e ever existed
d at the
lf a truth. Her
water wa
g her knees. Steam clouded the
"I know wh
o one
rrible, gilded silence -