p on Chloe's wrist and reached for the collar of her silk blouse
inished th
e didn't aim for his head. She was more precise than that. She broug
ickening crunch o
ny. He snatched his hand back, cradling it to his chest. It
dka from the table, and with a sharp, fluid motion, smashed its base against the solid oak edg
oat. Her eyes, which moments ago held fear, n
chatter turning into shrieks of alarm. People scramble
clearing, Sienna trailing close behind
t a theatrical shriek. "Oh my god, Dougie! What did she do to y
in pain, and Chloe, his fiancée, standing wild-eyed, holding a
sted into a mask of cold fury. He didn't ask
voice cutting through the noise
e man she had loved for seven years. In his eyes, she saw no concern for her,
. "She was defending herself, Bra
y out of this, Stella." He turned his glare back to Chloe. "Yo
ully. "I just came over to say hello, Brad. She ju
ob. "Brad, you have to do something! H
He looked at Chloe, his voice dropping to a low, commanding t
log
ber of hope in her heart was extinguished. She looked at him, truly looked at him, and saw a
escaped her lips. It
n bottle fell to the thick car
ng duo he was protecting, she grabbed her coat
ay from me," Brad snarled
peed. Her eyes met his, and the look in them was one of su
spat, the words
e. He could only watch, paralyzed, as she and Stella pushed th
Stella was holding her, her voice a worried buzz in her ear
nts wooden. "Just... go home, St
s in Chloe's eyes that silenced her. Reluctantly, she
nstead, she walked into a dive bar on the next corner, a place with
ool and threw a hundred-doll
led bartender. "The strongest yo
down her throat, a welcome fire trying to incinerate the image of Brad's face f
e lights blurred into streaks.
the high stool, a clumsy, b
dy arm wrapped around her waist, catching he
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