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you?”

“Doesn’t matter who I am Did you really think you could just waltz off and leave

everything behind? That’d you’d never have to repay your debt, Jai ss a” He accentuated the S’s in her na his best impression of a snake

She took a step back Her an to calculate the distance between

the entries of the hallway

“There are eyes everywhere You won’t knohen or where But she’s co for you,

Jalissa, and she has a big surprise” An evil sly white teeth “I hope you re them”

She tossed the drink toward his eyes, spun on her heels, and ran for the entryway She

reached the end of the hallway and he grabbed a handful of hair, yanking her back into the darkness He slaainst the side of the wall and pinned her there with an arling as her air supply depleted Her vision began to dim

“I’ to watch your eyes go dead as you re-learn your place” He slaainst the wall and released his hold around her throat

Dazed, she slid down the wall, struggling to get her bearings and htheaded, she forced her body upright while she watched him walk away and slip off into the crowd She rubbed her throat, horrified by how easily it would’ve been for him to do whatever he wanted In a h the center of the peace and safety net she’d built for herself None of the work she’d put in mattered

Not the million-dollar security systeun, or her bouncer Her legs shook and her stomach rolled

The hidden had become the hunted

The walls seeainst the floor, swaying as she

gained her feet Stu to walk, she made her way to her office and locked the door behind her Bowing her head, she took deep breaths to steady her nerves If she called Lefty all frazzled and frightened, she would destroy all the work she’d put in over the years I refuse to be a damsel in distress She moved to her desk, sat on the office chair, and unlocked her desk draith shaking hands Pulling the phone out of her purse, she scrolled down to Lefty’s name