e adrenaline that had held her together evaporated. Her legs, s

with a sickening thud. The suitcase slipped fr

on a mixture of annoyance and disdain as he looked down at her crumpled form.

self up. But her thigh muscles refused to cooperate, twitching and spasming un

on his wrist, his impatience a pa

her. His leather shoes were silent on the thick rug, but

one powerful arm around her waist, and hauled

he hard wall of his chest. The fabric of his shirt was crisp and cool, the musc

In one fluid, humiliating motion, he shifted her weight

ausea washed over her, and she stopped struggling, her body going limp. The s

l staircase, his steps even and swif

eve her suitcase, his face etched with a

ined hallway to the very last door. He didn't bother with

thout a shred of care, toss

s. Her hair had fallen across her face, and she pushed it away, scrambling to prop

hands shoved into the pockets of his tr

. "Don't wander my house. Don't speak to my staff. Just stay he

ving. The defiance in her eyes w

n't expected her to have any fight left. Then it was gone, replaced by the same

e lock echoed in the

s a pr

r shoulders slumped. A single, hot tear, a tear of pure, phys

red from her phone o

eutral white, was now flooded

body instantly on high alert again. She sat up straight,

PROTOCOL

ASSETS TEMPOR

ched the phone and frantically tried to open the app for her offshore Swiss b

red scre

EARNED BY ACCUMULATING EMOTIONAL VA

he day's stress had burned through whatever s

the room's built-in mini-bar. She pulled open the polished wo

tely bare, except for a neat row of four

She twisted the cap, the hiss of carbonation a small, sharp sound

e center of the red screen, a giant countdown