Before she could draw in a breath, he shoved his palm flat against her mouth. His fingers dug into her jaw and forced her head against the wall.
“Don’t.” His voice was low, almost as if he were giving her advice. “Just don’t.”
She tried to twist away. She clawed at his arm. It did no good. The masked man was bigger and stronger.
Her purse strap slipped off her shoulder.
He let it fall. Didn’t even glance at it.
That was when she knew.
This wasn’t a robbery.
Panic surged through her, sharp and cold.
She kicked at the man. Her foot caught his shin, then his knee. But he didn’t flinch.
His other hand came up, and something hard hit her temple.
Pain exploded white and hot behind her eyes. Her vision fractured, and everything split into pieces.
The second blow came harder.
Her knees buckled. The brick scraped her back as she slid down the wall.
The man’s hand remained clamped over her mouth, holding her upright for one more second. Two. Three.
Blood flooded her tastebuds.
Then a shout sounded in the distance.
The man cursed under his breath, low and sharp. But her ears rang, and the edges of the world went soft and dark.
His grip loosened.
The next instant, her body crumpled onto the pavement.
The last thing she registered was the sound of footsteps retreating and the cold press of concrete against her cheek.
Naomi woke to a pounding ache behind her eyes and the steady beep of a monitor.
She blinked. The ceiling swam above her—white tiles, painfully bright fluorescent lights.
Everything blurred at the edges.
She tried to move her head, to look away. But pain spiked through her skull, sharp enough that she gasped.
“Easy,” a woman murmured. “Don’t move too fast.”
Naomi turned her head—slowly this time—and saw a nurse standing beside the bed. Middle-aged, scrubs patterned with small blue flowers, an ID badge clipped to her pocket. Her expression was professional, but something careful waited beneath it.
“Where—?” Naomi’s voice came out hoarse. She swallowed and tried again. “Where am I?”
“New York-Presbyterian. You were brought in last night.” The nurse adjusted something on the IV stand. “Do you remember what happened?”
Naomi stared at her and tried to pull something forward. A face. A reason.
Nothing came to her.
