n the ventilator cord. Her heart seized in her
n look for her coat. She stumbled out of
ecurity. Relying on her memory of the penthouse layout, she sprinted toward the kitchen, pushing
too loudly and made her already trembling legs dangerously unstable. She kicked them off, leaving them on the landing, and continued descending barefoot, her hands draggi
on maintenance gate in the underground garage, and dragge
ainst the side of a yellow c
the backseat. She dug into her pockets, pulled out the few crumpled twenty-dollar
ignoring the receptionist as she used the hallway walls to support her failing body, inching her way desperately toward the VVIP wing.
d shot out, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and
head bouncing off the dry
her, her face twis
disappear for a whole day? My Brittanie had to suffe
scalp. She grabbed Glendora's wrist w
d, her voice shaking. "Show me the
ed out her phone and tappe
till in the hospital bed. The machine was pu
She slumped against the wall, cold sweat s
ith shifty eyes stepped out. He was a black-market doctor,
are losing time," the
by the arms and dragged her into the adjacent blood-draw room,
next room. Brittanie was sitting up in bed, scrolling
against the orderlies. "You're lying! You'r
ie hard across the face. The sharp
d maliciously. "Remember who holds yo
ed Allie's arm and jammed a massive,
began flowing through the t
. As the blood rapidly drained from her body, the room began t
llie let out a weak breath, thinking it
hand down on her shoulde
ped the full bag for a
eyes widening in pure horror. "You can't
wn, her face inche
a whispered like a demon. "If you die, I'll jus
the last remaining piece
d down her pale cheeks. She went completely limp i
ace of color vanished from Allie's lips. Her breathin
finger began to beep frantically
e quickly pulled the needle out. "That's it.
tor. "Lock this door from the outside. Let her rot in here until we get paid. If she dies, just dump her in the alley," she comm
reezing room. No bandage was applied to
nd and pressed her thumb hard against th
ing the crushing wave of uncons
ment her bare feet touched the floor and
llapsed heavily onto the freezing ti
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