was a brutal,

e heavy blackout curtains, stab

screamed in protest. Every muscle felt bruised, stretched, and s

r vision swam for a second b

er cheap apartment. It was a hand-painte

r heart gave a violent, p

eight train. The tequila. The dark room. The

dly turned her h

, the white sheet pooled around his waist. His broad, muscu

ratch

r mouth to muffle her gasp

tioning a rumor about The Elysium hotel. The underground

ish room. She looked at the ma

rain with horrifying clarity. She

looded her veins. She ha

et. She lifted it, trying to slide off the mattress without mak

do you think

ind her. It was deep, raspy,

bed. She whipped around, yanking the sheet

away to reveal his heavily muscled chest. His dark eyes were r

for the blackmail demand. He was waiting for her to name her pr

her alive, but she refused to cower. She

voice trembling despite her effort to sound firm. "But

d at her, the gears in his head fr

g his piercing gaze. "How m

lute. It was so quiet Ava could hea

r. He genuinely thoug

dropping an octave, vibrating

ng the metallic tang of blood. She reached over the edge of the bed,

he screen an

, her voice rising in panic. "I can just Ve

t screen of her phone. The V

it him. She thoug

illions of dollars before breakfast, was bein

rom his throat. The sound made t

't care that he was naked. He stepped off the bed

step toward her

ocating. She scrambled backward on the mattress, her heart hammering

as tr

her hips, caging her in. He leaned down, his face inches fr

his voice dripping with lethal ice, "that you