nd creaking under the pressure was sic

ngulfed Chad's wrist completely, his knuckles white, th

ed to the pavement, forced down by the sheer, crus

bored. Detached. As if he were holdin

care,"

wung her handbag-a quilted Chanel-at Ear

ch. He didn't acknowledge her existenc

Faith wh

emed to pierce through th

Earl, stop. Please. You'll break it.

placed by a flicker of calculation. He looked back at Chad, s

ng his hand. He was gasping for air, his face a mottle

ace of the man wh

y, paste white in a millisecond. His

" Chad whispered, h

l out a card. He pulled out a sleek, black

emperature in the parking lot by another ten

d stammered, trying to

ctive immediately. For conduct unbecoming of a Ham

. Sir, I didn't kn

Earl co

g a bewildered Tiffany into the passenger side. The engine roared, and the re

on them completely.

is dead,

was hanging off. Fluid was leaking ont

arl said. "Leave it. I'll ha

, I c

in th

a truck. It was a blacked-out Cadillac Escalade, armored plating visibl

She looked at the empty

e was safe. Or at least, he was a known

," sh

p. The leather smelled of sandalwood and tobacco. The door closed

ght limp, a reminder of the shrapnel she had just

he go

d to life. A dee

ed out of

she'd been holding for twenty minut

shouldn't have done that. Chad is... v

d on the steering wheel.

You know the rumors. They

. His palm was warm, rough, and eno

erious. "Nobody is going to fire me. And nobody

have enemies, Earl. That sh

e said. "I

SUV onto the

we going?"

to talk. Somewhere where you can't run

he should be terrified. She was in a billionaire's armore

hed over her knuckles

ifying sense of

fied her more