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She re him, until the first responders arrived She showed theether, either

The cops arrived soon afterward--and within the hour, Annabelle was blamed for the murders

CHAPTER ONE

Four years later

"HOW DOES THAT MAKE you feel, Annabelle?" Thelayer of sleaze

Keeping the other patients in the "trust circle" in her periphery, Annabelle tilted her head to the side and aze of Dr Fitzherbert, otherwise known as Fitzpervert In his early forties, the doctor had thinning salt-and-pepper hair, dark brown eyes and perfectly tanned, though slightly lined, skin He was on the thin side, and at five-ten, only an inch taller than she was

Overall, he was nored the blackness of his soul, of course

The longer she stared at him, rebelliously silent, the rated--not that she’d ever let hi to please him, but she would also never cower in his presence Yes, he was the worst kind of ry, selfish and unacquainted with the truth, and yes, he could hurt her And would

He already had

Last night he’d drugged her Well, he’d drugged her every day of his two-month employment at the Moffat County Institution for the Criht he had sedated her with the express purpose of stripping her, touching her in ways he shouldn’t and taking pictures

Such a pretty girl, he’d said Out there in the real world, a stunner like you wouldas simple as a dinner date Here, you’re completely at my mercy You’re mine to do with as I please…and I please plenty

Humiliation still burned hot and deep, a fire in her blood, but she would not betray a moment of weakness She knew better

Over the last four years, the doctors and nurses in charge of her care had changedstars of their profession, others si, while a select feorse than the convicted criminals they were supposed to treat The more she caved, the more those employees abused her So, she always re her incarceration was that she could rely only on herself Her complaints of aboher-ups believed she deserved what she got--if they believed her at all

"Annabelle," Fitzpervert chided "Silence isn’t to be tolerated"

Well, then "I feel like I’o"

At least the amusement drained He froith exasperation "You know better than to answer my questions so flippantly That doesn’t help you deal with your emotions or problems That doesn’t help anyone here deal with their emotions or problems"

"Ah, so I’ anyone but himself

Several patients snickered A couplelips and catching on the shoulders of their gowns

Fitzpervert’s frownhere to help vanishing "That set you into trouble"

Not a threat A vow Doesn’t matter, she told herself She lived in constant fear of creaking doors, shadows and footsteps Of drugs and people and…things Of herself What was one h…at this rate, her e to finally bury her

"I’d love to tell you how I feel, Dr Fitzherbert," the ue over his teeth before switching his attention to the serial arsonist who’d torched an entire apart inside of it

As the group discussed feelings and urges and ways to control them both, Annabelle distracted herself with a study of her surroundings The rooly yelloater stains on the paneled ceiling, the walls were a peeling gray and the floor carpeted with frayed brown shag The uncomfortable metal chairs the occupants sat upon were the only furniture Of course, Fitzpervert luxuriated on a special cushion

Meanwhile, Annabelle had her hands cuffed behind her back Considering the a cuffed was overkill But hey, four weeks ago she’d brutally fought a group of her fellow patients, and teeks ago one of her nurses, so of course she was too ht only to defend herself

For the past thirteen days, she’d been kept in the hole, a dark, padded rooenuinely) insane She had been starved for contact, and had thought any interaction would do--until Fitzpervert drugged and photographed her

This ed her release fro She wasn’t stupid; she knew he hoped to bribe her into accepting his mistreatment

If Mo sob The young, sweet girl they’d loved was dead, the ghost so her At the worst ti