l, just a few floors below me. Carter was

d fragile. She clutched Carter' s hand, her eyes wide with fake fear. There were no marks on he

ough for me to hear. "What if she tries to hurt m

session, his desperate need to be her savior. She even threat

ng with triumph. She was blaming me, painting me as a

f coldness, a chilling resolve in his eyes. He was trapped in he

day, Gia se

hing for me. Y

Fear of what he was capable of. Fear of anothe

rotest. I threw my few belongings int

nding there, b

re going?" he asked, hi

I said, trying

grip like steel. "You'

ded. "I' m not a threat to her!

message, about Gia' s mani

a terrifying certainty. "She won' t be safe as long as you loo

to do?" I asked, my voi

crossed his face. "No. I'

at came next were the most

of her from you. I will make you someone else. Someone plain. Someone

s problem. He was going to mutilate me, to rob me of the very last piece of mys

have a new face, we can start over. No one will know who you are. We can be happy." He cares

his touch as if

insane,"

of my room, down the hallway, toward the surgical wing. Hospital staff

going to carve up my face, destroy w

-op room and locked th