A/N: Hey guys, here's another chapter for you! I cannot tell you how much it means to me when a reader takes a few minutes from their day to write a review for my story. The love and support I have received for this fic has been both baffling and inspiring all at once. So once again, thank you.

Mini warning: A bit of language in this one!


The instant Regine found Jane, it was clear that they would not be making an appearance to the beach party David had invited them to.

There she was, passed out cold, her body slumped against one of the port-a-potty's adjacent to the closed VideoMax, leaving Regine at a complete loss of what to do. Simply standing in front of her friend's unconscious form for a brief moment, she shut her eyes and wondered how she was going to approach this problem. Not feeling up to dragging Jane all the way to the sand for a few hours of rest just yet, she gave in to her blinding dizziness and kneeled down to sit next to her, resting her back against the hard plastic of the portable restroom.

Real classy, she thought, whipping out her carton of cigarettes and not caring if anyone gawked at the untidy pair on the ground. This wasn't quite how Regine pictured the night ending, but she had to admit that it was far better than being alone in her room, moping over her unfulfilling life like she had done so many times these past few days.

She could feel the exhaustion in her bones, unable to fathom trekking to the car that seemed miles away. Where was David and his stupid motorcycle when she actually needed a ride somewhere?

At the beach, she thought, waiting for you.

Regine felt herself frown. He had probably just said that as another test to see how she would react, not caring if she showed up at all in actuality. If she was being honest with herself, Regine knew deep down that David was just toying with her, winding her up like a doll and taking pleasure in watching her squirm. Without being able to explain why, her gut was telling her that she was nothing special to him. For all she knew, he had already found another girl to keep him company for the night after realizing Regine wasn't going to show.

Not having a clue where these thoughts were coming from, she came to the conclusion that she was merely feeling sorry for herself, something she found herself doing more than she would care to admit. It wasn't that she doubted his interest in her, feeling their intoxicating connection for those few short minutes in the Pink Room night after night, but that was probably where their story would end. It wouldn't progress into something more. How could it? She was afraid to even have a conversation with him and actually let herself be the person she genuinely was in front of him.

And then there was David himself. He was the real enigma here, his dark mysteriousness and commanding silence paired with his shameless flirting and slightly worrisome stalking habits bewildering her to the point of insanity. She had never felt so close to someone yet so estranged, an exasperating dichotomy that baffled her each night after her shift.

There was a darkness inside of him that lurked just beneath his chronic smirk and playful banter, seeing it in his eyes when she would begin to back away after their dances. It was present when he touched her, sometimes startling her out of the moment, not knowing if he was upset at her or something she was doing. After awhile, she grew used to it, convincing herself that it was a permanent part of him, a piece of David that accompanied every other part that made him who he was. Even after accepting that, she still speculated over what had caused him to be that way, coming up with conclusions for his masked coldness whenever she witnessed it.

Did he really have the capacity for cruelty or was it simply a persona he donned to attract the opposite sex? Had he always been this way, or did something create the darkness within him? Was he just moody?

Who knows, maybe he really is an axe murderer, she mused, holding the bridge of her nose to keep her splitting headache at bay.

"Are you girls alright?" came a soft voice directly in front of her.

Strange, Regine couldn't remember hearing any footsteps approaching them.

All thoughts of David ceased as she peered up from her position on the solid ground. What she saw was a man who looked to be in his mid-forties regarding them with a concerned expression. A seamless combination of both refined and nerdy, Regine recognized the man from somewhere but couldn't place her finger on precisely where. Attempting to seem as sober as possible, she smiled warmly up at him.

"We're okay, my friend's not really feeling well," she explained, hoping that he would accept that and continue on his way. "But thanks."

The man nodded slowly, worry still evident on his face. "Does she want to come inside? I just locked up but I should have some aspirin lying around," he proposed, pointing in the direction of the VideoMax, revealing why he had looked so familiar to Regine.

This was Max. The video guy. The girls had been to his store countless time to pick up various horror classics for their movie marathons, even asking his opinion on a few of them from time to time. He was nice enough, sometimes letting them pet his large brute of a dog who would lap at their faces with enthusiasm. She didn't know why she hadn't recognized him earlier, failing to take into account her current location and drunken state.

Glancing over at Jane, who laid there with her eyes snapped shut but mouth wide open and hair obscuring part of her face, Regine considered his offer. While he had always been perfectly polite and friendly during their trips to the shop, there was something slightly…off about him in this present moment. It might have been the liquor, but Regine still had at least some good sense not to accept an offer from someone she barely knew, being trapped alone with them in a location where escape might be difficult. One had to be smart in these situations. Especially in the supposed "murder capital of the world", or whatever tourists liked to call it these days.

"I think she'll be fine. I'm just going to let her rest for a little while longer and then head home," she said, brushing a few curly strands from Jane's face as she spoke.

Max nodded, even though it was clear that he disapproved of her decision. "Well, alright then. You really shouldn't be out here this late all by yourselves. Plenty of crazies out there," he warned, a paternal tinge to his voice making Regine feel uncomfortable. Swallowing the bad taste in her mouth, she just smiled reassuringly at him.

"Don't worry, we'll be okay. I'm pretty used to these streets by now," she explained. "Thanks again and have a good night."

Placing his keys in his pocket in defeat, Max simply smiled back at her and gave her a small wave. "You as well," he said, turning and walking along the length of the boardwalk, fading away in the distance.

Regine watched him for awhile, somewhat embarrassed that they had been caught in such an undignified position by someone they sort of knew. Perhaps it was time to head down to the beach where it was a little quieter; her eyes were beginning to close and she needed to sober up fast.


Getting Jane to cooperate with her as they made their way across the boardwalk was no small feat. Huffing and puffing, Regine nearly collapsed when she felt her boots finally sink into the cold sand, not caring if she let Jane fall down with her.

She had been forced to guide her through the short distance to the beach by wrapping one arm around her drooped shoulders while the other grasped her waist tightly. The only help she received from Jane included her unidentifiable gibberish and dead weight. Yeah, this was definitely not her idea of a successful night out. Now Regine had to wait, all alone with her unconscious friend beside her. David's invitation wasn't sounding too bad right about now. Except she couldn't just leave Jane here, entirely vulnerable and unconscious. She was positively stuck.

Letting her eyes flutter shut, she reveled in the quiet coolness surrounding her, the sound coming from the crashing ocean waves ahead reminding her that she was still awake. Luckily, they had landed in a rather secluded spot on the shore, with the only indication of fellow beach bums being a few dim bonfires lit far enough away that Regine had to squint to see them and muffled rock music playing from a distant stereo.

Don't think about him, don't think about him, don't think about him.

She had been doing so well with her internal agreement of keeping her mind clear of him before he had just appeared out of thin air in front of her.

How did he keep doing that?

It was almost like he knew her whereabouts every second of the damn day, a sneaking suspicion that only continued to fester within her brain as the days went on. With all her foreboding moods plaguing her thoughts and notions lately, she did not need a stalker in her life right now, no matter how attractive they might be. A feverish chill ran up her spine as she observed the waves, remembering the sense of dread consuming her entire body as she walked home from work that night.

There was no way that David had been following her home, right?

No, it was impossible. No one had that much free time on their hands, especially not someone like him. Why would he need to stalk someone when he could easily play up his charismatic nature and make girls cater to his every whim instead? Seemed more fun to her, at least.

Brushing away those daunting thoughts, she instead tried to focus on something else. Something good. Something that made sense and didn't require sleepless nights or nerve-wracking days. Rubbing her temples in desperation, she huffed angrily upon realizing that absolutely nothing in her life was going right. Even this night was all wrong. This was supposed to be her lighthearted night with Jane, where she would finally have a break from David and all his bullshit. Of course, he found a way to weasel back into the forefront of her mind without a single issue, consuming her every waking thought from the moment she had tossed that bottle over the Ferris wheel.

God, she was stupid.

She needed help.

Maybe a hobby.

Something, anything to pull her out of this rut. Admitting she had a problem was the first step to finding a resolution. She was lonely and it was starting to affect her life in more ways than one, the most troubling offense being this delusion involving David and any possible chance of developing something more with him. Whatever attraction he might have felt for her was directly correlated with her willingness to play along with his game, and he was the only one still having fun. Somehow she believed that he knew that, deep inside. She was also convinced that he didn't care how she was feeling, just as long as he was in control.

Was she being overly dramatic? How could someone be that calculating? It was entirely possible that David was nothing how she viewed him. Maybe that's why he always appeared to her alone, behaving in a completely different way in front of others, like that gang of boys who bent at the knee for him in both loyalty and fierce obedience. She had witnessed it outside of St. Mary's, how they reacted to his every movement, every passing glance and strategically deliberate tone. It was difficult for her to imagine being around him while also being in the company of his friends. Would their dynamic change or was he always perpetually charming yet detached in front of them as well? She didn't even pretend to know the answer, but it was doubtful that someone could be that controlled all of the time.

Wishing for the day when she'd finally be the one to keep him on his toes, Regine supposed she was feeling so shitty because he had caught her in an embarrassing moment. Of course, he just had to show up when she was sitting alone on the Ferris wheel, her cheeks brightening at the memory. Why couldn't he have stumbled upon her when she was doing something cool? Like beating a couple of oblivious tourists at a game of pool with Jane at St. Mary's or pretty much any other situation that didn't involve shame and humiliation. Sure, she had overcome her initial unease he had created by showing up to the club for the first time, but somehow he still found a way to catch her at her most awkward.

Her energy dwindling with every deep breath, she laid back against the cool sand, not caring if her hair would be ruined as a result. She felt her eyelids grow heavy, the sound of Jane's steady breathing gradually lulling her to sleep, no matter how hard Regine fought to remain awake. Two girls passed out on the beach in the middle of the night wasn't the greatest scenario, but she wasn't in the right mind to care.

Maybe she should've listened to Max.


It had only felt like seconds since she had closed her eyes, a high-pitched noise from afar jolting her awake, still surrounded by darkness. Taking in her location, Regine guessed she had been asleep longer than she originally thought. There were no faraway bonfires or stifled guitar solos to be detected. Not anymore. Everything was pitch black and silent until another piercing sound echoed through the air and Regine jumped to her feet the moment she could decipher what the noise actually was.

Someone was screaming.

No.

A group of people were screaming. Pleading for their lives and crying out in pain.

At least, that's exactly what it sounded like. There was no other way Regine could explain the sounds she was hearing down the beach, but she knew that something terrible was happening.

Straining her eyes to gauge where and what was going on around her, she could see nothing but a few hundred feet in front of her, the moon glinting off the ocean waves proving to be no help in seeing any further. Pure terror engulfed her as the screams continued to tear into the night sky. Amidst the deafening shrieks and hopeless cries, Regine felt the blood drain from her face as she heard something else, something that would haunt her dreams forever.

Laughter.

Whoever was inflicting so much pain and terror were laughing while they did it.

They were having fun.

Regine had to get out of there.

Something evil was fast approaching and she did not plan on sticking around to find out what it was. Pure adrenaline ran through her veins as she went into survival mode, senses hyperaware and heart pulsating at light speed. She had to wake up Jane.

"Jane! Jane, wake up. Please!" she cried, shaking her shoulders violently. Regine prayed they had been asleep long enough for Jane to sober up and when her friend's eyes finally snapped open, clear and alert, she nearly collapsed in relief.

"W-what's going on," she asked immediately, her expression growing more fearful as she began to hear the screams around them. "What the hell is happening?"

Regine grabbed her roughly by the arm and hoisted her up from the sand as fast as possible.

"I don't know, but we have to go. Now," she demanded, her voice frantic and shaking.

Without another word, the two girls lunged forward, pushing their feet into the sinking sand and breaking into a sprint towards their car. Regine never once let go of Jane's hand as they ran, the screams growing more and more faint with every stride. She felt the weight of her boots as they hit the wooden planks of the boardwalk but knew that she had to keep pushing.

They weren't safe yet.

One glance in Jane's direction made her heart lurch in her chest as they raced forward.

Regine had never seen her best friend look so alarmed and confused despite the darkness, so completely frightened to the point of tears that were beginning to fall from her wide eyes. Passing the closed Ferris wheel, with the red blinking bulbs dimmed and cheerful music switched off for the night, she could just barely make out their parked car in the distance.

"Your keys, your keys!" she shouted, causing Jane to jam her hand in her purse, never missing a step as she threw the jumble of silver toward Regine, who was feeling alert and determined. She didn't want Jane to start panicking once they were in the car, failing to make a rapid getaway.

Her thoughts were a blur, unlocking the car door without even realizing what she was doing. Her body was in complete control, and it was doing everything it could to get out of this situation and survive.

With the fear of the unknown spurring her on, pushing her, pumping her heart with pure endurance and will, she threw the car into drive and stepped on the gas with full force. They zoomed forward, into the night and away from the penetrating cries that were still ringing in her ears. She could hear Jane's ragged breaths from the passenger seat, her head thrown between her knees as she calmed herself.

"What the fuck was that back there?" she demanded desperately.

Regine shook her head wildly, at a loss, trying to keep her eyes on the road and her mind straight.

"I don't know," she said quietly, defeated. Her hands were shaking and her legs felt numb but she kept driving, putting as much distance between whatever nightmare they had just witnessed and their car.

"Well, what should we do? Call the cops or something?"

"I don't know, Jane," she repeated. "What would we say?"

They hadn't actually seen anything and Regine wasn't sure how much help they would be to the police. She guessed it wouldn't hurt calling but her stomach rolled at the thought of needing to relive the memory of what they had just heard.

Those screams.

That horrifically gleeful laughter.

No. She never wanted to think about those few moments of terror for the rest of her life.

"It sounded like people were getting murdered or something! I mean, those noises…" Jane trailed off, her face in her hands now.

All Regine could do was nod again. She didn't know what to say, fighting to keep a few fresh tears back herself.

They had gotten home safely, with Jane rushing up the stairs to call the police.

Regine had felt absolutely haggard, stumbling behind Jane at a much slower pace. She had never been that scared for her life before and she didn't realize how much energy fear can take out of a person. Jane was already speaking with someone at the police station when she walked in.


The next day, after a rough, sleepless night, Regine had rolled out of bed at the sound of Jane's soft voice in the kitchen. She must have been on the phone with the cops again from the sound of the one-sided conversation, triggering a deep sigh and a cue to get up and join her.

It seemed like Jane was having the appropriate reaction to last night's mysterious events while Regine just wasn't. She couldn't explain why, but after it happened and they were home safe, she had felt completely numb. Cold.

She wasn't afraid. She wasn't upset. Her brain seemed to be working overtime, struggling to keep her from thinking about it, distracting her with any other thought that didn't involve screams or evil laughter or blood. Glancing at her clock, she realized it was time for her to get ready for work and she was almost glad for it. A distraction might do her some good.

Shuffling over the the kitchen for a quick cup of coffee, she saw Jane look up from her seated position at the counter top, nodding reassuringly as Regine made her way to the refrigerator.

"Okay then, well thanks for your help anyways," she said with a sigh, hanging up the phone and rubbing her temples.

"You get any sleep at all last night," Regine asked, concerned.

"Nope. Been on the phone for hours with the cops. After I explained what happened and where we were, they went to go check things out themselves. Turns out, they didn't find anything suspicious or whatever," she said, moving her hands over her arms. "It's just so weird. How can there be nothing left? I mean, we were there!"

Regine shrugged and ran a hand through her tangled hair. "Maybe they weren't looking in the right place? You know how useless the S.C.P.D can be."

"Do you think it was a prank? Like, someone trying to mess with us or something? Scare us?"

"It's possible but I don't think we'll ever really know for sure. That's the weirdest part," Regine sighed, ready to put this topic to rest.

"Yeah," Jane replied, dejected. "I guess I'll go try to take a nap or something. I doubt I'll be able to, but it's worth a shot."

Regine stopped her from leaving the room by placing a hand on her arm. "Hey, we're okay. Try not to think much about it for the rest of the day, yeah?"

Jane forced a smile and nodded wordlessly before walking out of the kitchen, leaving Regine to drink her coffee alone.


It was Sunday, which meant a slow night at Doll House yet again. She performed her three dances in a daze, as if on autopilot as the spotlight focused on her movements on stage.

No one really seemed to notice except for Jenna, of course, who had an impressive bullshit detector and called Regine out on her lies whenever she had the chance.

"What the hell's been up with you tonight," she interrogated.

Both had just gone on their first break and were currently laying in the middle of the dressing room floor, sharing a cigarette much to every other dancer's annoyance. They didn't care.

"What do you mean? I'm cool," Regine lied, exhaling smoke.

Jenna huffed. "Sure you are. Now why don't you cut the crap and tell me what's going on. Is this about that brooding yet incredibly hot guy who's been coming in every night? The rich one who always asks for you?"

"What, no! Not at all," she spluttered. "It's just – something happened last night. Something weird. I don't know, it's really nothing."

The older brunette rolled onto her side to face Regine, her expression serious.

"Tell me," she demanded quietly.

Regine mimicked Jenna's position and laughed. "You know, it's stupid. We were probably just hallucinating or something but Jane and I were a little drunk and we needed to relax at the beach for a bit. You've been there. Anyways, we fell asleep and –," she took a long inhale of her cigarette before continuing, "we heard people screaming. And I mean screaming, like they were being tortured or killed. I've never head anyone scream like that."

"Oh my god," Jenna breathed. "And you don't know what it was. You didn't see anything?"

"No, nothing. We ran our asses off to the car though. Jane called the cops. They didn't find anything of course."

"Well that's the Santa Carla police for you," Jenna shook her head.

"That's exactly what I said," Regine agreed and laid her head back.

"If they really didn't find anything, then you have nothing to worry about right?" she said comfortingly. "You guys made it home safely and that's all that really matters in the end."

"I know," Regine mumbled. "Just been a little off my game lately. Don't go calling the crazy house just yet."

"Oh I think you're way passed that point anyways," Jenna joked before jumping to her feet. "Let's get back to it."

Taking her hand, Regine pushed herself up from the hard tile, and they walked out onto the main floor together. She was relieved that Jenna was back at work after taking so many days off. This place just wasn't the same without her.

Looking out for any of her regulars that she could sweet-talk out of a few bills and take her mind off things, her eyes landed on Jerry. Sweet, sweet Jerry, who seemed to be looking for her, too, from the way his expression softened at the sight of her. Biting her lip playfully, she waved him over, careful to keep her innocent persona together. He liked when she was pure and naïve for him.

"I wasn't sure you'd be working," his voice full of relief. "You weren't here yesterday."

"I needed my beauty rest," she said, leaning into him as if whispering a secret in his ear. "You're sweet for waiting for me."

"Waited for you yesterday, too," he mumbled, almost to himself rather than to her.

Regine blinked. Did he really expect her to be at the club, anticipating his presence, whenever he wanted? Brushing it aside, she concluded that this was Jerry she was thinking about. Surely he didn't mean that in the way it sounded. She continued to smile at him, unaffected.

"Can we go somewhere more…private?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course we can! Right this way," she said, leading him by the hand to one the private rooms.

This room was slightly larger than the Pink Room and had an entirely different theme. Leopard print covered the whole interior, from the rugs to the couches to even the wallpaper, with bright yellow lights sparkling overhead. Jerry took a seat on the plush sofa while Regine placed herself on his lap. He liked when she did that, even daring to brush his hands against her exposed thighs that rested on him.

"How's life been, Jerr? Work alright?" she asked, trying to sound as interested as possible. It wasn't that he bored her or anything, but she was going to need a greater distraction than his conversation skills to keep her from thinking about the night before.

He shrugged slightly. "Work's work, ya know? Can't complain," he murmured over the music, fidgeting with the collar of his polo.

Regine nodded, unsure of where to take the rest of their conversation. Jerry was usually chattier than this, whether it be complaining about his overbearing boss at work or the most recent blind date he'd been on, usually being a failure.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked.

He continued to fiddle with his shirt, trying to avoid looking straight at her.

"No, no. I'm okay. It's just – I have something I want to ask you," he declared, causing Regine to feel a nauseated jolt in her stomach.

She didn't reply, out of fear of knowing exactly what he was about to ask, but let him continue anyway. He looked like he was braced for her to stop him at any moment but soldiered on regardless.

"I've been thinking a lot about it and I know I always tell you about a bad date I had or how my ex-wife ignores me if I see her at the grocery store and well," he took a deep breath, "you're the only person I can really tell those things to. I don't have anyone. No friends. No family. Definitely no girlfriend..."

Regine furrowed her brow and nodded again. "You know I always enjoy talking to you, right Jerry?"

He smiled.

"Yeah. Yeah, I do." He paused and bravely covered her small hand with his own. "Which is why I wanted to know if you'd be interested in going to dinner with me. Maybe this weekend? I know a place. A little Italian restaurant that I think you'd love."

The unabashed hope in his eyes physically pained Regine as she looked at him. This was a man who came into a strip club every single night just to talk to one dancer for as long as he possibly could. He was probably the only person lonelier than her, which made it that much harder for Regine to find the words to explain to him why she couldn't accept his offer.

"Oh, Jerr, I don't think that'd be the best idea," she explained, her voice soft and compassionate.

He was silent. Staring down at his hand that held hers, he slowly withdrew it and shook his head.

"And why not?" he asked quietly.

Regine had to think fast. She wasn't about to tell him that she just didn't think of him in that way. There wasn't an attraction and he was almost old enough to be her father! There had to be an easier way.

"W-well," she stammered, "I'm currently involved with somebody. It's new and I don't want to jeopardize anything. You get it, right?" she asked, desperate for his understanding.

When he didn't say anything, she continued. "You're so great and I wouldn't trade our talks for the world! I hope this doesn't affect our friendship or anything and I know you'll find someone who makes you happy," she encouraged. "You just gotta be patient."

Pushing her roughly from his lap, he flew to his feet, standing over her with an angered expression.

"So who's the guy?" he questioned sternly.

Regine was in complete shock at his sudden outburst that she just stared blankly up at him, trying to piece together an answer that would please him. When nothing came, he huffed and began to pace back and forth across the small room.

"Don't tell me it's that guy who's been comin' in lately. The one you've been dumping me for. It's him isn't it? Yeah, of course it's him. I should've known when I saw you two on the Fer –," he paused suddenly. "Forget it. Doesn't matter anyway."

Her head was spinning. Was this even happening? Maybe she was still sleeping on the beach and this was all just a bad dream. There was never anyone screaming and this certainly was not happening now. She had been in complete disbelief that she couldn't even process what he was saying to her, bewildered that he would get so angry with her at the drop of a hat. She just knew that she had to get out there.

Regine didn't like the dangerous look glinting in his eye.

"Jerry that's enough. I think you should leave now," she asserted, raising from the couch and attempting to briskly walk passed him.

Before she knew what was happening, she felt her back hit the wall with an echoing thud, Jerry's hands gripping her shoulders harshly. He wasted no time and began placing hard kisses along the length of her neck, her head hanging heavily and her back muscles throbbing in pain. With a blink of an eye, Regine threw her hands at his chest and shoved his body away from her with all the strength she could muster, leaving him stumbling and distracted, giving her enough time to dart towards the door. Turning the knob and flinging it open, she made a break for the entrance of the club where she could grab Andrew.

He would know just what to do.

She had only made it a few feet from the private room before colliding into a tall, strong body, covered in all black clothing. A pair of gloved hands reached out and gripped her waist firmly, like they knew exactly where to go. This touch felt all too familiar but Regine was too scared to focus on that right now.

David looked down at her with a smirk that disappeared the minute he saw her pained expression and frightened eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, his tone dangerous, arms still wrapped around her securely.

"Help me," she said simply, her face burrowed in his coat, trying to hide from Jerry's wrath that was no doubt coming for her any second.

It was then that he came bounding from the small room after her and Regine could feel David's entire body tense with anger. Jerry stopped just short of crashing into him, too, standing before the two with his hands balled into fists, infuriated.

"There a problem here?" David asked easily, his words laced with an assured threat, eager for a fight.

"Yeah, there is," he seethed, pointing at Regine, still nestled in David's arms. "Tell your bitch that she can kiss my hard-earned money goodbye. A filthy whore like her doesn't deserve it," he spat.

Regine sniffled and pressed closer to his chest. As much as she wanted to deck Jerry in the face, she knew it wouldn't solve anything. She'd probably get fired and he'd have the satisfaction that neither of them got their way. She just wanted to go home and hide under her covers.

"Is that right? Well, I doubt she'll miss you all that much," David pointed out, letting his hand rub circles over her back to further enrage Jerry. "I've been takin' real good care of her."

Someone, Jenna probably, must have witnessed their little scene from afar and alerted Andrew because the next thing she heard was his comforting, baritone voice.

"Jerry. Out," he commanded. "Now."

You'd have to be crazy to put up a fight against Andrew, so she was positive he would leave immediately without another word.

Releasing herself from David's hold, she turned to face Jerry, who was bright red with pure rage and embarrassment. David crossed his arms and watched him, too, eyebrows raised expectantly. Looking from her face to his, Jerry clenched his jaw and took a step forward.

Just as Regine was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he lunged at her, grabbing her throat and squeezing with powerful force. It had all happened so fast. There was no time to react.

"This isn't over, Regine," he whispered in her ear.

Gasping desperately for air, the last thing she remembered was a large, pale fist connecting with Jerry's face and the loud thud of his body hitting the floor right before Regine's vision clouded with darkness.


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