attress, staring at the GPS co

h the gap in the heavy curtains, casting

rt and her birth certifi

ket of her trench coat. The sharp zip of the poc

doorknob with a

t on the carpet. She held her breath, keeping her back pressed aga

the servants' iro

eak under her weight. A cold sweat broke out ac

hen and pushed open

mud and squeezed through the old dog

skin, but the moment she stood up on the public sidewalk, the cr

ered yellow taxi, her lungs felt like they were bleeding. The driver gave her dirty, wet clothes a suspicious glare. Hazel shoved a crumpled fifty-dollar bill through the partition, and he hit the gas without a word. Traffic was a nightmare, eating away at the precious minutes, each red light feeling like a physical bl

to the grand,

hing. Hazel stood alone by a marble pillar, her wet ski

sharply against

overcoat that draped perfectly over a broad, imposing frame. His leather sho

ed two f

l," h

ng baritone that made Hazel

his face. He had sharp, ruthless jawlines and eyes as cold as t

account?" she deman

He pulled a sleek phone from his poc

played their brief,

one. His shirt cuffs were immaculate, faste

ing?" she asked, suspicio

k. "Entry level. My family is threatening to cut me off if

devoid of emotion, that i

lie, a loud shout echoed from

t wing!" a gru

men in dark suits with earpieces we

ized her

muscle beneath his sleeve surprised her, but

uments onto the count

now," Hazel told the clerk, h

wly, eyeing the frantic, muddy woma

questions," the clerk drawled, crossing h

rely blank. The blood

clerk's eyebrows pulled together in deep suspic

warm hand wrapped a

de. The scent of cedarwood and crisp wi

he ice in his eyes melted into

k, his voice dropping into a soft, intimate register. "She spilled

waist. The physical contact sent a jolt

expression soft

onto the paper. The loud clack ec

handed over, Brennan drop

d. His eyes return

stared at the thin piece of paper in her hands. It felt abs

s coat pocket and pulle

a pen. "Separate assets. No i

clinical, and exactly what she wanted. She signed h

A flicker of something resembling surprise crossed his

s approached f

ders between Hazel and the open lobby. His large over

e fabric of his coat. Over his shoulder, she saw the Cook

shaky breath, her knee