CHAPTER TWELVE
Panic tried clawing its way back up but she pushed it down—not too hard given the utter shock she felt in that moment.
“That’s a good girl, Avery,” Howard said.
Their noses were practically touching and when he looked into her eyes there was almost a sort of loving gaze there.
“Sorry I had to be so sneaky,” he said. “And rough. But I think you can understand why I had to. Now…before I remove my hand from your mouth and my knee from your chest, I want to ask you two questions. First…are you afraid that I’m going to kill you right now?”
She was surprised to find that she could answer no without any reservation. She shook her head slowly.
“That’s right,” he said. “And do you think I might rape you?”
Again, she shook her head. The idea of Howard Randall having any sort of
