The blood drained from Anastasia's face so fast the bright fluorescent lights of the boutique seemed to flicker and dim.
The air in the mall, which had felt so cool and refreshing minutes ago, now felt unbreathable.
Beside her, Lori's hand clamped onto her arm, her fingers digging into Anastasia's skin. Lori wasn't stupid. She had heard the words. Tore your last dress off your body.
With everything Anastasia had told her, it was Matteo.
"Stasia?" Lori whispered, her voice sharp with a sudden fear.
Anastasia couldn't answer. Her eyes darted frantically toward the wide glass entrance of the store.
Thousands of people were moving past in the mall corridor, a sea of blurred faces and shopping bags. Somewhere in that crowd, he was there. Or his men.
"Did you see him?" Anastasia turned to the cashier, her voice trembling. "The man who paid. Where did he go? When was he here? Was he alone?"
The cashier looked slightly unsettled by Anastasia's reaction.
