Chapter 2

The crack of it echoed through the studio.

I didn't dodge in time. The force of it sent me stumbling back into the couch. Blood flooded my mouth. Half my face swelled up instantly, ears ringing.

Vivienne clicked over in her heels and took Marco's arm, her eyes fixed on my belly. "Careful, baby, don't hurt your hand." She glanced down at me. "Really, Chiara, just get rid of it. Save everyone the embarrassment."

"Get rid of it? Too easy." Marco's eyes had gone red. He grabbed me by the hair and dragged me off the couch.

I screamed, both hands locking over my stomach. "Let go of me! Touch my baby and he will kill you. He will tear you apart."

"He?" Marco laughed. "What, the guy who won't even show his face? You think dropping some random man's name is going to scare me? In this city, Chiara, killing someone is as easy as stepping on an ant. For me."

I thrashed against his grip, eyes scanning for my phone on the desk across the room.

I had to call. If I could just get through, if he could just get here—

I bit down on Marco's wrist as hard as I could.

"Bitch!" He yanked his hand back.

I scrambled across the floor to the desk and grabbed the phone.

Before I could hit the shortcut, Vivienne's heel came down on the back of my hand. The stiletto punched through skin. Blood welled up immediately.

She ripped the phone out of my hand, slammed it on the floor, and ground her heel into the screen until it was dust.

She crouched down and put her mouth close to my ear. "No one's coming for you." Her voice dropped. "Why should you get to have a better life than me? You're garbage. You should've been left to rot."

The phone was gone. There was no way out.

Marco grabbed my collar and hauled me half off the ground.

"Beg me." He looked at my face — the pain in it — and he liked what he saw. "Get on your knees and bark. Tell me you're a whore. Say it nicely, and maybe I'll let the bastard live."

My body was shaking. Eight months pregnant. I had nothing left to fight with.

The baby kicked — hard, frantic.

For the baby. Just keep the baby safe.

I closed my eyes. Swallowed everything I had left. And I knelt — down onto the floor covered in broken glass.

It cut into my knees. I bit my lip and didn't make a sound.

"Woof," I said. Then again. "Woof." Head down. Tears hitting the floor.

Marco burst out laughing. "Vivienne, look at this. Miss Chiara Navarro, on her knees like a dog."

Vivienne covered her mouth, giggling. Then her eyes hardened.

"I said I'd let the baby live," Marco said. "Vivienne didn't." He drove his boot into my shoulder.

I pitched forward.

Vivienne stepped onto my back, heel grinding me down into the broken glass beneath me.

"Die." She was screaming now. "You and your bastard, go to hell!" Her heels came down on my back, my sides, over and over.

The pain tore through me.