a

and something else... a clean, woodsy

at brushed against my skin was impossibly soft. Silk. I looked down and saw

hospital I'd ever seen. This was a suite, larger than my entire apartment, with fl

What happen

escaping my lips as the m

e doctor said y

an authority that made me freeze instantly

the soft glow of a bedside lam

His dark hair was perfectly styled, his jaw sharp, and his eyes were the co

It had been on the cover of Forbes, of Fortune,

ries. The Alpha King of New York City's und

as I here? What did t

d peeked out from

oy from the

was still pale and expressionless, but when he saw that I wa

s tone flat and devoid of emoti

the son of one of the most powerful men on the planet. A w

okay," I said,

d up his tablet. On the screen, in large,

felt that strange pull again, that inexplicable softness. I reached out and

inch from my touch. He leane

expression unreadable, his gaze deep an

rt. A mild concussion and severe soft tissue bruising on your back. Noth

wanted was to get out of here, away

king on the clipped, impersonal tone of a busin

him, confuse

ions as if he were reading a grocery list. "Whatever

change my entire life, end my five-year struggle. He could give m

lt like he was trying to buy my silence, to settle a debt and be do

ghting for every scrap, I

the eye, my own gaze st

s features. I had the distinct impression that Ba

voice quiet but firm. "I di

m see the conviction in my eyes. "I