thick, heavy fog of painkillers. The steady, rhythmi

sterile white lights of the ceiling forc

ly bandaged left shoulder. It was a brutal remi

o her line of sight. He checked her IV drip with a professional,

el door of the medical room slid open with a quiet

Dawson

harcoal suit. He exuded an aura of absolute, suffocat

expression was a mask of cold calculation that made

tfully to Colten before silently exiting the room. T

r shoes made absolutely no sound on the sterile

lt. Instead, he pulled up a steel chair and sat

ow the heiress to the Merritt military fortune ended up barefoot i

ying her panic. Rick Sullivan had already run her fingerprints and uncov

with her uninjured right hand, her nails digging into her palm. S

as the stitched muscle in her shoulder tore painfully. She po

o help her. His icy demeanor was designed to test her

ghtly. "I received an anonymous tip about the hi

van immediately stepped inside, handing Colten a slim tablet. Colten tossed it onto the bed near her good ha

ly intimidating. He steepled his fingers

ive in front of a bullet. People with

You staged a hero act to gain favor with my mother. You

he accusation. Her voice turned sharp. "I don't

physical strength for a long game. "I saved the Senator because I

micro-expression of intrigue that briefly broke h

ecretly embezzling massive amounts of federal funds. H

I don't waste federal resources on a d

number and a complex routing code from memory. It was information she had disc

ized the unique routing code structure. It was associated with a

, his thumbs flying across the screen. His eyes scanned the data a

rous level of respect mixed with deep suspicion. He realized she h

e in the room shifted instantly from an i

voice tight. "But playing games with the White House

ze flawlessly. A cold, determine

walking, Mr. Dawson. I h