tly as he scooped up the ruined tablet. He straightened his tie, forcing

ma'am," Dusty sai

ctful three paces behind. She stepped through the massive double doors int

urated were gone. The antique vases were replaced with gaudy, mirrored pe

ding near the grand staircase, directing a ma

ir's fingers and clattered onto the marble

ed out, his hand flyin

head and held Alistair's gaze for one long, terrifyi

rd floor. They reached the guest suite at the end of the hall. D

door shut behind her. The heav

s and looked out over the manicured French maze garden below

er, the deadbol

glass of water, and a white first-aid kit. He parked the cart near the door and took t

one flat and lethal. "But the Blackburn legal department is going to bur

h practiced, steady movements, she began to clean the coagulated blood from the shrapnel slice on her forearm. The sting was sharp, but her expression remained completely impassive

re a bit drama

physical blow. It was what the senior traders called him dur

his back, resting on the grip of his conceale

her hands on the table and looked at him,

a distillery, Dusty? Why

lly broke a crack in his armor. He ground his teeth toget

, applying a steady, suffocating pres

her off, the migraines hit him. They blind him." Dusty's voice cracked. "He locked himself in the master bathroom last year. I had to kick the door in. He was on the floor, hurting

r slipped from Ka

g water and shards of glass exploding across th

ad maintained since waking

ff the chair, her knees hitting the floor-her right knee screaming in protest as it struck the hardwood-just inches away from the jagged p

m. He had expected a spy, a con artist. He had not expected this visceral,

shadows of the staircase, Kennar

connected directly to the ro

d blade into his ribs. His breath came in shallow, ragged gasps. The script in his brain scream

t a time, his heavy footsteps echoing in the hall. He sla

k flash

saw her kneeling in the glass,

hallway. Dusty didn't say a word. He practically

p shard of glass out of the way before his expensive trousers hit the floor. His body was stiff, every musc

it out

e was wet, her eyes red and swolle

and threw her arm

trembling. The smell of her skin-a scent he hadn't smelled in twelve years-flooded his sense

ulder, Kennard's right hand moved

long strand of hair near the root and pulled sharply. He curled