ystem screamed like a dying anima

mping on it with all her body weight, but the electronic

hicle to lose all traction. The rear end whipped out, sending the car sliding

his face and locked his core, his muscles instantl

ht side of the Maybach's hood caved in around the hydrant. A geyser of high-pre

wheel with the force of a heavyweight punch. It sl

the reinforced side window. The world fractured into a diz

r filled the cabin. Keira's lungs seized. She couldn't pull in a breath. Her

out of his way. His dark, calculating eyes swept over the

eavy door groaned and popped open. He stepped out into the freezing downpour,

a tight barricade around the wrecked Maybach. Alex Thorne, Hillard's executive

face drained of color. He reached out to grab Hillard's arm

door handle and ripped the door open with brute force. He r

. His movements were rigid and cold, but his hands

illard's chest. The oversized black hood slipped off her he

d look

The air vanished from his lungs. His

nvoluntarily tightened around Keira, pulling her flush against his chest as if trying to embed her into his own body. His knuckles turned stark white from the strain. It wasn't an act of anger or contro

ight with panic. "Do we call th

le ticked visibly. He forced the air ba

est

urgent. He laid her down on the expansive leather bench seat in the ba

ity contractors in the rain to scrub the Maybach's data driv

Long Island. Hillard carried Keira's soaked body through the grand foyer, ignoring the wat

The filthy rainwater and street grime instantly soa

the room carrying a stainless-steel trauma kit. He immedia

oaked jacket. He frowned deeply. "Severe malnutriti

ar and lit it, the heavy smoke swirling around his face. His eyes were na

his kit. "I'll administer a heavy sedative

s voice cracke

he needle hover

ling a thick cloud of smoke. "I want her fully c

her in an oversized, dry silk robe. As the nurse rolled up Keira's left s

zens of tiny, dark n

ircles were that Elias Barnett's granddaughter was a hopeless, degenerate junkie. The physical evide

port on the nightstand, and bowed his head. He and the nurse

remained standing by the window, the cherry-red tip of his cigar