The Silence Before Her Storm

his brow furrowed in co

ome." Alexia remained silent, her face pale, letting Kassandra's impatient dismissal do the work for her. The lawyer presented a clipboard with the top p

ah, Dad, hurry up. K

handed the clipboard back to the lawyer who stood silently beside Alexia, an

here, alone in the middl

ed by a cold, hollow ache. It was the feeling of a limb that had

lized?" she asked the law

iately. A few weeks for the cooling-off p

nt in her bag. She turned to leave, but a lux

Alexia. We'll give you a ride home." Her vo

k you," A

His eyes met hers in the rearview mirror, a silent

Jacob wants you

assive one in the mirror. It was another test. Another pathetic att

verwrought it bordered on farce. A dry, mirthless laugh caught i

inued their performance, fussing over Kassandra, oc

e city's lights to streak across her vision, a meaningles

k had swerved into their lane. The car jolted viol

ob lunge across the seat. For a wild, insan

eyes

ng his body to shield K

's breast did not shatter; it froz

s! The roads are slick,

ing on Kassandra. "Are

rred, her voice a little shaky. Then she gasped,

e. Jacob finally turned to look at her,

to the hospital, si

d at Alexia, then at Kassand

rd. "She can take care of i

eement. "She's stro

eyes. The exhaus

er head herself. She applied the antiseptic with a steady hand, not fl

days, nursing her wounds,

she stepped out the back door, something hard

melled of rust and decay. An abandoned facto

pped to her waist. It wa

ra was also tied to a ch

knot binding her right wrist, her finger

st open. Jacob and Anton rushed

onto Alexia. He to

shrieked, her voice cuttin

women. The internal struggle was plain on his fa

game

e." He ran to her, his back to Alexia. "Ju

sentence. The timer o

urther injury, was caught in the merciless jaws o

s. He pulled her to her feet

ned her head and gave Alexia a

e had once glimpsed upon Jacob's desk, its tab bearing the inscription 'Extreme Fealty Protocols.' A cor

. Or perhaps, she