ootsteps moved o

n Chloe's back, breathing hard thr

e re

ut and everything in it came up onto the hote

." Jenna's weight

at felt scraped raw.

. "Begging? N

e knee

e low table, and on it the champagne flute, empty, a film of w

p, picking at her ruined dr

s arm

he edge and burst on the floor - ice water and

scre

t under her on the third try and ran for

a shrieked her n

n aquarium. Chloe ran. She didn't know where s

ign.

d and echoing, took the steps two at a time and didn't coun

er cold, hitting the pave

id on wet stone; she kicked them off and kept going, b

e she'd snatched off that table on the way

y now. Chase had a car, a drive

Carlisle name meant nothing and

e. Not in this c

d white eyes through the rain. A black Mayb

n't ste

nto the middle of the

and the wash of air knocked her onto her back in the gutte

r door

, shoes landing in the filthy water wi

ove

er like

Rain plastered her hair t

bruary sky, flat and assessing, taking her in

airport. The Beaumont heir who never gave interviews, who had shown

Beaum

money had been trying to bur

ire in a flood. He was also the only thing

nder her and walke

ce shook and she hated

moved. I

is Chloe

nd the grey - not interest, not cur

arli

cause if she stopped now she was dead, or worse than dead, and eve

. "Let me stay with you

ay it straight, lo

ve mysel

The driver didn't move. Somebo

he ruined dress, the bare feet bleeding on wet asp

him before. Never like this. N

t i

and got in

lbow and she crawled in after him, dripping onto l

ok at her. He sp

ini

swallowed

was nothing personal in it

n't had inspected. Before we d

e went hot.

to be humiliated tonight. She

nds, at the water pooling

," sh

into traffic and le

did not speak to her agai