ie

fruit knife. The cold steel was a shock to my sy

ce hired could be here any se

seized me. Pain. I could

torn dress. I found the soft skin of my inner thigh, took

tarily eclipsed the drug's maddening heat. I gasped,

in, staining the white fabric of my dress. The sight of it, the

llway. The distinct click of a

as h

enaline surged through me. I coul

e only way out was the massive g

h on my thigh throbbed, but I ignored it. I stumb

p. Over the howl of the wind, I heard the suite door s

eeking of stale liquor, was stalking into the

t

d onto the narrow decorative ledge

othold. I pressed my body flat against the cold, unyielding ston

hen he saw me out on the ledge, then his sick smile widened.

ed my feet to move, shuffling sideways along the ledge toward the neighborin

bled. The drug was a rel

ropelled me f

was. I pounded on the glass with the heel of

edge himself, moving toward me with

ebody, help!" I screa

m my shoulder. His stench fil

in front of me was rip

vise-like grip. I was yanked forward, pulled fr

ying me forward until I cras

nd something else, something uniquely masculine and un

out, and I started to slide toward the floor, only to b

. He was tall, impossibly so. His jaw was a hard, unforgiving l

eping over my torn and bloodied dress, the bruises formi

on the ledge curs

he sudden safety caused the dam to break. The drug I had been fighting wit

to tremble,