Chapter 73

• The flicker of metal caught the light of the moon at that harrowing moment as he raised the gun, aiming the barrel squarely at her chest. Anastasia felt her stomach drop into her feet, and time itself seemed to stretch, allowing a montage of her dismal life to flash through her mind like a tragic slideshow.
• Just as she was preparing to flee, her foot collided with something unexpectedly solid and warm, causing her to fall to the ground just as he pulled the trigger.
• The silenced weapon emitted a sharp cough, the sound devoured by the encroaching darkness of the night. For a fleeting, terrifying second, she feared she was dead, suspended in a world devoid of pain or the consuming darkness she had anticipated—only the relentless pounding of her pulse echoed in her ears.