e you? How did y

rridor. Pierce's voice, thick with rage and pain. "You c

ips. "Please," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Please, he's

rds, assessing the situation. She could almost hear the cold calculation in his silence. A strange woman, crashing into his su

'm not trying to trap you or rob you. My stepsister drugged me. She gave

llway beyond the door. Heavy footsteps. Uneven. Dragging sligh

ement through his grip on her arms. He was loo

teps stopped.

Three fists against the door, then four, the

ough the wood but unmistakable. "I know s

corner of the suite. She heard the soft rustle of fabric, the quiet clink of something b

ide. No chain.

loud,"

wheezing. "I'm looking for a woman. Blind. Blue dres

s not

mind if I take

min

Eleanora heard him shift his weight, heard the

harper now. Triumphant. "That blue fabric. Right t

he same blue. But then she heard the man make

s my s

t from here. That's the exact

hallway, and now you're accusing my laundry of being a fugitive." His voice

That blind little tease ran straight to you, and now you're going to play the hero and keep her all to yourself." His voice twisted into something ugl

ne

t desk you're harboring a thief. I'l

wo

itch. You think

oice cut off mid-sentence, replaced by a grunt of shock. And then she heard the unmistakab

ard the click of a button. His voic

cated. He's been disturbing guests and attempting to force entry into

hen, "Yes.

door, heard him cursing, heard his uneven footsteps retreating down

nd them up anyway. I

move for a long moment. Then he turned. She heard him w

ain. The cold arrogance was gone, replaced by

ng too hard, her whole body trembling with the aftershock of terror.

resence, the warmth radiating from his skin

tonight. But you're safe. No one is goin

but before she could

e felt his hand on her chin, tilting her face up toward his. His

" His fingers found her wrist, pressing against her pulse. She felt him count, silent

s calm but efficient. "I need to ask you a few q

een. I can't remember exactly. I ran,

ste like? When

sweet. Like art

taut in his voice now, something controlled but urgent. "I've never encountered exactly what he gave you. But the symptoms are con

that mean?"

ng your temperature down immediately, the fever could cause organ damage. It could become life threatening." His hands found her shoulders, gu

an slow it down. You need cold water, right now, to bring your core temperature under contr

ay. Come on. One step a