Vespera''s exprestontwisted with disgust. "You really are Insufferably tacky."


    Tina looked at Vespera''s face, swollen and smeared with blood yet still strikingly beautiful and defiant. Rage boiled inside her. Sheshed out, her fists striking Vespera''s face again and again.


    From outside, a man''s cold voice cut through the air. "She''s stalling. If you''re gonna do It,


    do il now.


    Tina froze, then quickly snapped back to her senses. She straightened and narrowed her eyes.


    TE


    She said coldly, "You''re just trying to buy time, aren''t you? Waiting for someone toe save you? Don''t bother. No one''sing for you tonight.


    "No one even knows you''re here. By the time they find you, you''ll already be dead-a suicide. Your suicide note is already written,


    "Now, let me send you to hell."


    Her lips curled in delight as she took a step back, flicking the lighter openagain.


    She watched with satisfaction as despair and tear twisted Vespera''s face, then tossed the lighter into the air.


    The moment the me ignited, Vespera''s survival instinct overpowered the drugs in her system. She tried to move, to escape.


    she managed was rolling off the couch and copsing onto the floor.


    As the burning me plummeted toward the ground, Vespera squeezed her eyes shut in utter despair.


    Tina stood there, anticipation lighting up her face, waiting for the fire to consume Vesperapletely.


    And then-it the veryst second...


    Just two inches from the ground, the falling lighter was caught by a hand


    The expected explosion of mes never came,


    Instead of the sound of the lighter hitting the floor or the gasoline igniting, a dark figure had appeared out of nowhere.


    Who the hell are you?"


    Realizing someone hade to save Vespera and that her n was calling apart, Tina didn''t hesitare. She lunged straight for Vespera, snatching a knife from the coffee table and driving it toward her where shey sprawled beside the couch.


    Vespera saw two dark figures rushing toward her at the same


    e time.


    The pain she was expreting nevercame.


    The sharp scent of blood filled the air, overpowering the stench of gasoline.


    Arcondter, a woman''s agonized scream tore through the air, followed by the heavy thud of something crashing onto the floor,


    Vespera had no idea what had just happened. A tall, shadowy figure had copsed partially on top of her, his weight pressing her down. The scent of himtched onto her senses, sharp and familiar. Mr. Reid?"


    Through clenched teeth, Dominic swallowed his pain. "Let go."


    She bitnked, them realized her fingers were gripping hills shirt. Through the


    fabric, berpan nested against the hard muscles of his abdomen.


    Flustered, she let go immediately.


    The darkness, along with her already swollen face, masked Vespera''s embarassment.


    Dominic purd Lilmself up, his movements slow from the pain. He untied her hands, then pressed a hand against his bleeding side. Gritting his teeth, he strode over, overpowered Titia, and find her up.