for hours. With every step, the friction tore at the tender skin. A blister on her right heel poppe

broke, revealing a massive, sprawling estate. It was built in a heavy Spanish colonia

avily armored mercenaries stood at every corner, holding the thick leather leashes of

the main house were propped open. A blast of freezing, heavily air-conditioned air spilled out onto the portico.

ight silk blouse and a heavy gold necklace encrusted with diamonds.

f girls. Her eyes were critical, assessing the merchandise. She stopped in f

Haley's chin. She tilted Haley's face up. "This one," Bea said, her voice

a returned, thick and choking. She lowered her eyelashes, staring

, turning into a deafening roar. Haley looked up. Two Apache attack helicopters swept low over t

up the driveway. The tires crushed the gravel, coming to a violent, sync

Her arrogant posture vanished, replaced by a rigid, tremb

a crisp suit. He stepped back. A long leg clad in dark trousers and

o tie. The top two buttons were undone. He moved with a terrifying, predatory grace. The air arou

ercenaries snapped to attention, their spines rigid. Even the Dobermans stopped

re in the air was physical, a heavy, suff

ilver Zippo lighter. His thumb flicked the lid open and shut. Click.

d sweetness. "Mr. Sterling. We have prepared a s

. His brow furrowed deeply. A look of profound, visceral disgust crosse

on the marble. He passed right in front of the line of girls. The c

The sharp pain grounded her. She locked her kn

He looked at them the way one might look at a row of plast

a second, she felt the weight of that stare. I

women," Axel said. His voice was a low, gravelly rasp t

p suddenly looked like a mask on a corpse. She t

ly into Bea's path, raising the flat of

ilent breath, feeling the tension drain slightly from her shoulders. As sh

nated by a warm spotlight, was

completely. Then she saw it-the map on the wall. Like a drowning woman grasping at a piece of driftwood, she threw all her mental energy into the parchment, using the cold, clinica

s became

used mid-flick. He stopped walking. His head turned slowly, his dark eyes track