ate in the Hamptons. The tires crunched on the gravel driveway as it pulled to a

ed her by the arm up the grand stone steps, through the cavernous

e master suite at the end of

her fall as she landed on a massive, velvet-covered

t up, glaring at hi

allway. He pulled her phone from his pocket, powered it down with a d

said, his voice flat and cold.

, and slammed the hea

f a lock being engaged e

s a pr

h wave of panic. She rushed to the door, twisting the heavy b

r way out. She ran to the wall of French doors that le

ck, churning waters of the A

d. Even if she could break the glass, it was a sheer drop of at le

d her arms around her knees, buried her face, and for the first time s

the first floor, a glass of whiskey in his hand. The fire crackl

e, the hatred, the flash of despair in her eyes before he'd slamm

ar engine approachi

cked discreetly on the library door

wned the rest of his whiskey i

ng like an angel in a cream-colored cashm

. "I heard about the attack on the company. I was

s arm. He looked at her, at the picture of sweet, feminine conc

aid, his voice rough. He

eyes, however, were soft, filled only with concern as her gaze briefly flickered upstairs, a

son who did it?" she asked,

g handled," he said evasively. "Y

cepting his deflection with a gentle smile. "

y heard it. A woman's voice, soft an

ld recognize in

ni

her ear against the cold, hard wood of

is ex-wife captive. The sheer, calculated cruelty of it, the abso

r eyes scanning the room, no long

onze statue in the corner-a

nt plan began to