sob. Tears welled in her perfec

hispered, her voice trembling. "I would nev

ng her close. He glared at me over the top of her

he said, his voice shar

ief. "Apologize? For what

in from the balcony. They took in the scene-me, furious and wild-eyed; Sar

, a man named Paul, sneered. "Can't

, looking me up and down with disgust. "Mark takes you in, gives you

like stones, pelt

no class,"

ude," Chlo

upbringing," Paul finished

orphan. Mark had stepped in, his voice low and dangerous, and made the boy apologize until he was practically

he one to tea

riends tore that worth to shreds. His silence wasn't just him failing

ing the last embers of my rage. I was so tired

tly, my voice barely a whi

with fake concern. "Mark, you should go talk to her. She's clearly upset." I

offed. "She's just lo

o soft on her," Chloe adde

to the elevator. But before the doors could close, Mark suddenly appeared. He push

ating. When we reached the lobby, h

d, pulling me toward his bl

trying to ya

ically pushed me inside, his strength easily overpowerin

. The concern from earlier was gone, replaced by raw frus

ng to start a

voice hard. "Her mother is sick. The last thing she n

y decided who the victim was, and it wasn' t

y a weary sort of tenderness that was almost worse. He

iv. Let's j

away. His eyes narrowed, and he

ce?" he asked, his v

en me on my nineteenth birthday. I had never taken it off. U

ok it

hy

ant to wear

ng in his jaw. "Fine," he said, his voice tight. "I

buy my silence. As he spoke, my eyes fell to his hand resting on the gearshift. H

er wear it a hundred times

wanted to buy me a new trinket while he wa

voice cold and clear. "I d