d sterile alcohol burn
oklyn Public Hospital's Intensive Care Unit. She hadn't slept f
e a hollowed-out shell. Tubes snaked down his throat and into his arms.
r. He didn't look her in the eye. He ju
tly. "If the funds aren't in the syst
trembled. Fifty thousand dollars.
the hallway, pushing open the hea
one. She scrolled through her contacts, staring at
door at the bottom of thechoed up the
eap cigar smoke flo
an from the black Range Rover. Two massive men in
k hit the cold concrete wall. Her he
her face. His eyes slowly dragged up and down her body, stripping her n
folded, thick legal document. He tossed it.
civil resti
oth flashing in the dim light. "That's what the judge said your
her voice shaking with rage. "He wa
ck and laughed. The sou
minimum wage is gonna beat
pped instantly.
ed Annette's jaw. His fingers dug into her s
or business. You're smart, you're beautiful, and you owe us. This is a way for you to pay your debt in full. You do
ted. She raised her hands and sho
Annette spat, wiping her ja
es turned
eading to the ICU. "Without my money, he dies lik
fingernails bit into her pal
ping to a deadly whisper. "I would rather borrow from the de
twisted into
ammed it into the concrete wal
. A jagged piece of stone sliced across Annette's cheekbone. A th
flinch. She s
touched hers. "You have twenty-four
down the stairs, hi
ell fell d
oncrete step. She pressed her hands over her face
aggressively. She p
had sworn she would never call. A number fo
twice. A gruff
l suicide. They wanted the deed to her rundo
letely dead. "I accept the terms. I
rom her cheek, and walked out of the stairwell. She ha
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