y, the exhaustion of his ordeal finally claiming him. I stood in his doorway for a moment, watching the s

d tired in my previous life, now felt charged with a new energy. The rebirth had

est scotch in his hand, looking as if he owned the place. He was arrogant, alr

me to an understanding. I was worried you were

the heavy oak doors behind me. The clic

tered. "What'

and deliberate. He watched me, his bravado startin

him, my hand shot out and grabbed him by the throat. I slammed him against the

e iron. He was taller than me, younger, but he had grown soft living off my wealth. I,

you doing?"

I squeezed harder, enjoying the panic that flared in his

it was useless. I held him fast, his

u are nothing. You are a stray dog I took in out of pity. You eat my food,

ruised throat. He looked up at me, a mixture of terror and disbelief on

nsane," h

," I said, looking down at him with contempt. "

s thinking... a closed-casket funeral seems so im

up, his eyes wide wit

you talk

petition the court to have the body exhumed. We'll have a proper autopsy do

face. He scrambled backward

at's... that's desecration! It'

e you just afraid of what they'll find? Or r

needed. He knew the casket was empty.

nees in front of me. He grabbed the hem of my

this wound will destroy him!" he begged, his voice cra

eling at my feet. The same boy who had stoo

s hand away

as cold as the grave he had planned for me. "I'm callin

idst the shattered glass. He hadn't realized it yet, but I had just