the room card slides int

ipping a heavy belt buckle. Her body was like a taut spr

ronic sound that contrasted sharp

t to come in and admi

ap widened enough, she acted. Instead of letting Ivy push it open, G

tug sent her staggering forward, a startled gasp escaping her lips. Her expensive stilettos had caught

pped an

the belt, her left hand shot out to cover Ivy's mouth, stifling her scream. Her

ed the sticky, sweet scent of the drug clinging to Giselle's skin, and a

omous whisper, burning against Ivy's ear. "You picked i

d, her neatly manicured nails scratching futilely at

er of the room. Ivy landed softly on the huge bed with a

of the heavy down comforter. She yanked it off, covering the

anger and fear sounded li

in Giselle's vision. Her knees felt like they were

shut behind her. The door clicked shut automatically. I

l of the corridor, panting heavily. Each breath fe

i

of the corridor was like a gunshot in the

drug-blurred consciousness. She couldn't

he fire escape. It's at the

g through wet cement. The ornate carpet seemed to stretch for miles. She gripped the wall with

s to go aroun

ly gave way. She lurched forward, a choked cry caught in

scent of expensive wool, clean, crisp cedar, and a faint hint of tobacco filled her sense

make out was a sharp, defined jawline and the s

s like the welcoming committee is getting a bit more agg

He scrutinized her disheveled appearance, her flushed cheeks, and the confused, unfocused look in her eye

sical contact, Adrian Herbert's

trange, almost fatalist

gainst the edge of a very subtle bio-adhesive patch used to reshape the ear. Beneath her cheap black-rimmed glasses and heavy makeup, he caught a fain

nary bar hostess. Someone is using the most

incredibly accurate worldview like a poisonous thorn. He wa

s were coming. She was trapped. This man

against his chest to steady herself, were now clenched into fis

o say something else, a sarcastic remark swirling on his to

her body. Her skin, where her hand touched his neck, was burning hot from a fe

ted at the end of the corri

e room!" a

d straight for Ivy's suite. They were so focused on their target that they

that there's a party here!" one of t

ound struck Giselle like a heavy blow. Her last ounce

to focus on the man's face. She couldn't make out

arse and broken,