atmosphere as friendl

frown crept across his face. "Have they touche

ad touched me, but

ed the implied threat

saying a lot, if you understand

necessary. Why would it be? Everyone has

is y

o price," s

es. "Of course there is. You just don't realize it yet. Bu

a smile, a

e could melt the wariness in her while a

confrontin

ace such magnificence. While at the same time knowing that they did so at t

don't sell? What then?" She

hat doesn

d unsteady. Damn it! She could not affo

sion, she'd done pr

picked up on my vulnerabili

shed again, u

It is a matter of finding which option will work best. I

that single stride bringing him t

with you." He was too close. Far too close. More than anything, she

She folded her arm

your goons? You are going to keep

gain, I promise. As for harassing you... He di

I prefer to think of it as gett

Why would you want to

atter?" He appeared sur

ter position to negotiat

better than I'd want to become better acquainted with a rattles

clearly intrigued. "

ou, well, everyone has a price.."Sh

But I will find your weakness. And when

all I ne

e had been

not give up trying to buy her land

he had something sh

eeded that she didn't already have. T

Her gaze shifted to the table as she passed it, and

ce, she could make the design of the inlai

olf. She'd seen one once and had been riveted by the keen intelligence

y various cultures over the millennia. She didn't dare

endary Big Bad himself. And she was a fai

he room. Her stride was long and loose. It s

ht a glimpse of the wolf motif. He smiled at the telling reaction, amused a

it and stood there

t filtering in through the windows. It embraced her with its he

d, the red so deep and rich that he hadn't not

oom, he pushed a button on

and one of his staff in t

the eleva