riyadh

“Her father had arranged it. He’d as good as sold her to Wendell to pay off debts. She looked down at her daughter and wondered if her father owed more money. Audra had a little sister, Carolyn. Would her father sell Carolyn to some brute? There was a baby brother, Isaac. He might not be such a commodity as a girl, but he might already be learning to behave in the image of her father.”
― Mary Connealy, Out of Control

“Mrs. Gotch a wide berth—I couldn’t talk to them.  I could,”
― Henry James, The Patagonia

“Chapter One Imogen looked at the butter knife in her hand and wondered if it was long enough to pierce a man’s heart. Probably not. Dirk Ranger’s heart was so small it was probably buried deep in his chest cavity, under layers of conceit and hubris. She’d need a sword to get to it.”
― Kate Perry, Let's Misbehave

“wasn’t sure how long I was conscious before I became aware of my surroundings. It could have”
― Harry Krebs, Fractured Persona: A Psychological Thriller