ting from the hallway. He turned on his heel and strode out of the

ldly over the scene. Kavon Cochran stood there, flanke

st Gideon into the ward. "I'm the executive assistant to Clifto

dominating the space. "This is a restricted trauma ward," Gideon said, his low baritone slicing throu

ssive step forward. "The Pace family owns half the medical boards in this city.

hreat was laughable to a man whose family practically owned the hospit

involuntarily take a step back. Gideon didn't waste another breath. He gave a decisive, dismissive f

ospital guards closed in, sei

!" Kavon shouted, his smugness completely dissolving into i

xpression perfectly calm. He smoothed his crisp white

djusting his gold-rimmed glasses with long, elegant fingers. He didn't look like a

oothly, pulling a rolling stool over and sitting

d propped herself up on the pillows

at her pale

e said, biting her lower lip. "No one, especially not the Pace fa

age requires absolute bed rest and zero external stress. Keeping it s

now filled with a chilling, shattered clarity. "Because in this entire world, I am the only one who wants

maiden name, Mcpherson, because she was the only person in that house who ever truly loved me. My husband just betrayed me in the most horrific way imaginable. And my sister... she always pretended to be so gentle and caring. She consta

g to that scumbag of a husband, it is the only true family I have left. It is the only

as the dark bedroom of the Ritz-Carlton, where a drugged, trembling woman had bitten her lip until it bled, absol

nst the faint, thin surgical s

and rapidly keyed in an administrative master override. His br

ideon said, turning his head slightly. "No one in this hospital or any netw

feeling a massive weight lift off he

redibly intimate. He reached into the breast pocket of his crisp white coat, pulling out a plain, heavy-stock white

pillow, right beside her hand. The clean, intoxicating scent of c

ating right next to her ear. "I don't give that number o

f the thick paper. The warmth from his

t up, vibrating violently against the wood. The