agility was replaced by an air of arrogant ownership. She treated

echoed through the house. I was in the kitchen, trying to ignore t

said. "He told my husband he was going to divorce that drab

n planning to leave me all along. My mother's "accident

voice dripping with smug satisfa

e, Keyla's friend, a woman named Tiffany, deliberately stuck out her foot

ered. "Watch where

s so clumsy. It's a wonder

sts. Before I could say a word, Garrison str

l is going on

he was angry on my behalf. He glared

t did you do?

answer, Keyla let o

arm. "It was awful. Janette just came at me. S

a play. Her face crumpled, tears welling i

bought every

nding on me. The brief flicker of con

u do to her?

said, my voice shaking w

p toward me, his whole body radiating menace. H

rushing to her side. He gently cradled h

it on the stone floor. Shards of ceramic flew everywhere. "

into his arms and started c

" Keyla sniffled into his chest.

ed and looked back at me, his eyes

ously quiet. "You will go to the basement and you will

t was a reinforced panic room he'd had bui

erious," I whis

d. "Or I'll have sec

buried in his shoulder, but I could see the

I had no choice. I walked down the stairs into the oppressive darkness of the ba

sides. Hours bled into one another. I lost all track of time. My body ached from the

t, I must ha

a voice. "Jan

cut through the blackness. Garrison sto

y body screaming in prot

r mother," he said, his voice flat, as if he were discussi

words. He had locked me in a dark room for what f

o go to a part

generous. It's good for public relations. And besides," he added, his voice turning cold,

ink in. "She picked out a task for y

e spitting on my mother's grave. And he was waking me from this torture chamber not out

gh escaped my lips.

had woken me. It wasn't about the memorial. It was about Keyla's

the man I thought I k