The Caged Canary's Spectacular Comeback

Barn

ang of iron fl

to his lips. When he pulled it aw

k; I reacted.

hat shove, channeling months of fru

his boot catchin

real, knocked off balance

I screamed, my

silent. You coul

at the blood on his fingers. When h

were

e said, his voice roug

ing but disg

ag, slinging it over

ning his composure and straightenin

me,"

et, ignoring the s

to the hotel, my boots pou

I locked the door a

lips until they were raw, trying

d me, and I slept

o my phone

who fired me-was

back home, was te

OK AT IN

y, I looked

was the number one

Grainy, black and w

ed like me snorting lines of

oked like me entangled in

were

man in the photos didn't have the sm

care about tattoos. Th

ted a photo of

d into my home would try to ruin my family.

s fram

so that no one would believe me i

aw

t call

led A

dn't

led a

cem

bed my

ing. He always rented th

ill, my breath hit

en. The front d

lked

in the l

robe, looking every

the news coverag

I entered. He didn

it,"

started, s

photos are fake! You know I've

't," h

You control the press.

ed them," he

S

in our alliance. Her father will pull the

t him. The

ng her destroy m

ing the fami

riefcase on the ta

sh. Stacks of hun

your name. Start over. I'll make sure you're sa

ng me to be

aying me

said, my voice breaking. "You

insisted. "This is the onl

" I

d at th

looked

y saw hi

sn't

ward in a t

cting me, Autry.

pped

oney. I'd ra

be rea

asonable. And I'm

and walked out

no rep

d no

no m

st time in my l