“Asshole,” Dakota mutters, swiftly stomping past us down back to her changing room.
My mouth hangs open as I stare back at him. My pulse stumbles.
"No one else matters, except you, Iz."
I’ve successfully managedto get a present for everyone without their knowledge. Maeve and I get hot chocolates while the others get coffee. Dakota is leading the charge, bouncing from kiosk to kiosk to check out the deals.
I'm not even sure she's Christmas shopping anymore.
"Wow." I hear her as she comes running up to us. "You have to smell this. I just got it!"
The mall suddenly feels too small. Too warm. Too?—
A scent cuts through the air.
My lungs stutter.
Perfume.
Not the light kind people dab at their wrists. This one is thick. Powdery. It clings to the back of my throat.
My stomach drops. Everything disappears. All sounds fall away.“Smellin’ like some little rich bitch.”The words echo somewhere in the back of my head. The laughing track fills my ears. My fingers tighten around my cup.
No.
Not here, not now.
Someone brushes past us and the scent hits me again—stronger this time.
My chest locks. The floor tilts.
“Iz?” Maeve’s voice drifts toward me, distant.
I can’t answer. The smell wraps around me like a hand around my throat.
“Are you going to be a good little girl for your daddy?”Laughter. More laughter.
My pulse spikes so fast it hurts.
No, no?—
“Iz.” Jace’s voice.
Close.
I blink, but the lights above smear together.
My breath comes out shallow. “I?—”
My hand reaches blindly for the wall. Something, to help hold me up. I don’t make it. The floor throws me off and suddenly my feet aren’t touching it anymore.
Strong arms catch me before I can land.
“Whoa. I’ve got you.” His voice is low, controlled, but there’s an edge to it now.
His arm hooks under my knees, the other braced firmly across my back. He lifts me like I weigh nothing.
“What—hey!” Dakota protests somewhere behind us. “What happened?”
