Shadows o

eather jacket, her fingers tremblin

f the cold - she wa

n that unguarded moment, everythin

of pain she had carefully weap

ove could shatte

to move, disappearing down the winding alleyway

o room for

Arabelle Knight to

abella Dev

t. A w

e had

she th

hadows, Damian watc

ing her to trap

was there to

he hated

gave him for what had

it had shifted, th

ed into her eyes, he saw the same br

e they weren't e

survivors of the

ow someone else was

ime, it wa

was

from the

ted years to finish

ame fast - almost

e - a flicker of movement, a glint

istling past her ear, sl

r ribs as she twisted and kicked out, c

k, growling low

ed, but there was no answ

s, forcing Belle to retreat into the

ap

er, but she crush

surviv

ld surv

the small knife hi

it, a gunshot rang out, ech

jerked violently and c

ough for a tall figure to step

mi

steady, his

d hers - burned with some

" he

le didn

coul

o was stare - at the man who should have been

d into the darkness, leavi

f against the wall,

nd turned to her, his face ti

you h

head, too st

tween them in two strides

e blee

ow cut marred her forearm,

't even

entle as he tore a strip from his sh

own for cruelty, w

tween them

rd. "Why... why ar

ed. For a long momen

se whether you believe it or not, B

escaped her. "Y

"And I'll spend every damn d

ed to shov

to ha

had buried deep, deep down - ache

's phone buzzed violently. He ch

ve," he said s

Belle d

something grim fl

not the only o

ckstreets, disappearing

use - an abandoned building fro

sn't

alls. Dus

ocks. Weapon

he moment

he room, her

ng on?" she snapped.

gainst the door

e. They weren't m

n wh

esit

from yo

e fr

do you

e door and approache

you showed up. After I rea

slammed agai

ed to be dead, A

ed at the sound of her

sooner," he continued. "But wh

stomach

, violent memor

fi

etr

her name as ev

he's still alive

nodded

wants

ed back, her

pent year

ding h

g untou

past had fou

etween them w

fast - and Damian wasn't givi

she demanded. "Why not j

s mouth

I lost

losing y

she saw it - the

once promised

n blurred wit

m could speak, a sharp n

tires scree

shou

led his gu

dy wen

foun

blood

w m

rough the cr

o m

eyes l

ore

re ru

urvive this - they

eth

in three long strides,

t burned t

asked, voice

hand back - surpr

finis

splintere

harged int