Chapter Thirty-seven

There was a scuffling noise. The silence of the room was split by Cain’s scream, then a thud that seemed to shake the entire apartment.

Immediately, Alessa stood up. She took a mass of foam from her pocket, crossed to the bath, soaked it with water, crossed to where Cain was sprawled on the floor, still dazed from the shock of the fall. She dropped on him, her knees pinning his hands to the ground. And as the wet foam came above his face, Cain suddenly realized what was about to happen to him. He gave a sharp squeal of terror, and he made a frantic effort to save himself, but it was too late.

Alessa dropped the foam on his face and applied pressure. Water flowed down the sides of his face. His legs kicked helplessly.

Keeping the pressure steady, Alessa watched the desperate heaving of his body and the movement of his fingers scrabbling at the tiles.

Cain suddenly realized he had no chance of surviving this. Alessa’s weight on him felt like a h