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The voice above iven me a reason

Nobody—nobody—would get aithmy husband

Fight, Natalia Surrender is not an option

Reality flickered Carotid arteries No oxygen I forced htening fingers aroundupside-down in the bedrooht here, we’d stood in front of it—Cristiano wrapping his ariven in then And over tier Mentally, euidance

I wanted those moments with him back For him to survive so I could look him in the eye and tell him I’d resisted, and I’d won

Because he’d taught th

With a clicking noise, I struggled to turnfrolinted off an to thrash under him

“Shh,” he said “This won’t hurt”

I had no defenses against a knife No weapon Nothing on me but flimsy satin pajamas and plenty of exposed skin Butback

Change your mindset, Cristiano had told me You’re in controlyou can take down an attackeryou can fight for your life and escape

That was all I had to do Escape Run I wasn’t at the level I needed to be to win, but I had the will to survive on my side—and the fact that he’d removed a hand from my neck to pick up the blade I only needed to incapacitate hiet to the panic room

My first self-defense lesson on the lawn had taught me more than hand-to-hand coic of distraction

Have you ever been to Disneyland? I’d asked Cristiano as his bar of a forearm had locked around my neck from behind

The sound of Cristiano’s answering laughter heartened me

Words scraped from my throat “Cristianoisn’tdead”

The attacker’s face bent toward limpse of him in the dark Crooked nose, foul breath, beady eyes “What?”

“He’s not dead I can”—I let my voice falter—“take you to h-him”

He leaned closer “¿Qué?”

I rammed my forehead into his mouth, and blood burst from his lip “¡Cabrona!” he cursed

The butt of round I only had enough strength to shock him, but it was all I needed He loosened his other hand around my neck, and I punched him in the same spot, harder this time