ached into her clutch, pulled out the last few twenty-dollar bills she had, and threw th

started to stand up, his mouth opening to stop the bleeding, disheveled woman, but E

he reached out and punched in the security c

green. The doors s

ilk ribbon tied around her waist. She untied it, wrapped it tightly around her bleedi

ened directly into the massive, o

evator. The room was littered with expensive

he wore a sheer silk robe, holding a crystal flute of

ly standing there, covered in dried blood and dirt, she gasped, the

across the room like a ghost out f

d up, trying to mask her panic with a sneer. "

d the front of Giana's silk robe, and slamme

ands up, her long acrylic nails

to grab both of Giana's wrists, pinning them

led, her teeth bared. "You ar

door of the master bedroom flew open. Carson rushe

ly pinning

" Carson roared. He crossed th

of her shoulders and yanked

pull lifted her off her feet. She stumble

into the sharp edge of the

ain shot up her spine. Everly gasped, the air completely kn

d Giana into his arms, his hands frantically checkin

e buried her face in Carson's chest. "She t

at Everly writhing on the floor. His

ous, insane bit

loor, forcing herself to stand despite the agonizing pain ra

reamed, her voice cracking. "She shoved

over to the sleek oak desk in the corner. He pulled

cross the paper. He ripped the check out, walked bac

hrough the air and la

ipping with condescension. "It's your hush money. You wil

he blue Chase Bank lo

throat. The sound echoed off the high

as her back screamed in prot

rossing his face. He thought she had f

ges of the paper and ripped it in half. Then she put

paper violently into Carson's face. The tiny white squ

id, pronouncing every word with lethal prec

him and walked straig