THE BILLION-DOLLAR NANNY OF THE MAFIA KING
I hated looking like a victim.
I turned on the brass faucet. The water rushed out, hot and steaming. I grabbed a thick white washcloth from the marble counter, soaked it under the running water, and brought it to my face. I scrubbed hard. Too hard. I dragged the rough cotton over my cheeks, my forehead, my neck, trying desperately to scrub away the smell of the smoke and the lingering echo of that Russian voice mocking me through the ventilation grate.
My chest heaved. I gripped the edges of the marble sink so tightly my knuckles turned completely white. I bent my head, staring down at the swirling gray water draining away, trying to pull oxygen into my burning lungs without sobbing aloud.