t the hel

neral. I told them all to fuck off. Coming from Shylyssa, those words

croak. "

thing else. Then Mariska walks back into the

hank you, Mariska. Take

cks out of the room. And all I can think is

decided if it's becau

I can't t

it does look like a pretty gnarly tear. Uri sits down on the carved, g

r leg on

n my own tongue while he rega

like I'm stupid. "On my lap. Unless you'd li

, right. Ye

e table behind him. The heat of his body soaks into my skin. He examines the wound for a p

apart like the

I balk as my leggings peel apart u

's already destroyed, so I haven't done anything to you that you didn't do to y

ing through me is no joke. I could re

reasons

I draw in a breath. When he raises his eyes

myself for not lasting that long. But I su

on't have to do

my skin. "You're in my house, pants ruined, with your thigh drape

ell am I kidding? Of course he's noticed. My usually pale skin goes from bo

a cotton swab to remove the debris. For such

bloody wounds in yo

stick around for the

. "Bringing new meaning

a smile. He does, however, k

ead. It's not like they're that hard to believe. I mean, the man lives on a fenced compound bristling wit

He freezes, turning his eyes on me. "You ca

t. "Right. Of co

comes up with a bottle. "A

runs up and down m

etter than that if you want me to belie

leg? Is this meant to be a threat? A power play? Am I a dead w

f. Don't let him see th

ve. Look at how you live. It's intimidating as hell. And

u think I'm tr

rt I was getting ready to deliver. I look down on

g would have bee

mes with a warn

ally kick up the sweating another notch. He seems oblivious to the mental conflict raging in my head. Most peo

h. "This is ta

u to climb other

on for your fences to be

r tried to scale it tonight

not

you trying to s

ion. Because I needed to retrieve

truth. It's a simple enough f

om my estate unless they

time remembering why I thought I was Jason freaking Bourne instea

ntact. "You know what? I don't ne

arp and my butt falls back into place instant

's mercy. So what if he's good-looking and rich? So what if he oozes this weirdly seductive dark charm that mak

rows perched high on his brow the entire time. He looks pissed off-but then again, h

a mild and entirely endurable st

dn't thank

eartbeat evens out, he says som

he closest I've seen yet to a smile on him. He sets my foot down gingerly, t

ds up and starts walking out of the living room without even

t, getting to my

me over his sh

n't have d

hy

mafia ties! A history of shady business deals! Crazy security, troubling rum

ave said as

ot Sh

y I'm gesturing down to my thighs. That's just what I n

n the orange cat on your panties, Alyssa. Ch

e that I feel like I don't have a cho

ho

table, hoping to God that I