t of Axel's cedarwood cologne slowly faded, repla
wn a desolate back alley, far away from the glittering lights o
d photograph of her mother, Vanessa Sterling. She had just le
feet. The stiff leather of her cheap heels rubbed her heels
ainst a brick wall covered in graffiti. She be
er inside the alley. It sounded li
up. Her heart instantly shifte
ouch, hiding her body behind a massive lly peeked her head around thefat man in a loud floral shirt was on his knees. The gr
ot and tears ran down his face as he bowed repeatedly, beggi
aling dress. She had both hands over her fa
ll, lean young man in a sha
ace. In his right hand, he held a black G
rd. He simply raised the g
instantly. A dark red hole appeared right between her eyebrow
l. He scrambled on his hands and knees,
the barrel slightly and fired two
the wet ground, then lay completely
n the hot wind. Chloe's stomach churned violently. She slapped boher grip. The heavy urn and the
de of the metal dumpster. In the dead silence of th
d his head toward the dumpster. His eyes locke
ole of the barrel pointed direct
te barked, his voic
er ribs so hard it hurt. She kne
agged breath. She forced her panic down,
he reached up and pulled the black hairpins from her head, l
yes, letting her vision blur until everything beca
harp pain to keep her face blank. Stumbling sli
waved her free hand in the air in front of her,
directly toward Dante. "Did my
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