lights of the hallway. He looked like a demon summoned from the deepest level of h

scene on the sofa: Eleanor, her blouse t

to absolute zero. A murderous inte

mbled off Eleanor, trying to plaster a fawning s

ather shoes making no sound on the thick carpet. He walked

ce, Axel grabbed a full bottle of r

with Sean's head wi

eaming down Sean's face. He let out a choked scream and collapse

dark grey silk handkerchief from his breast pocket and wiped a sp

roken glass, whimpering. "She seduced

tal precision on the hand Sean was using to push himself up. A sharp crack

man on the floor. His voice w

e said, "you d

he tattered remains of her blouse. She was shaking unc

treaked face. The raw violence in his eyes receded, re

ed it around her, covering her completely. The coat was w

down to

buzzed in his pocket, the soun

ulling the phone out with one hand. The

t. The name o

y washed over her. Her body, whic

ed from the phone. "Axel, darling? W

in her, the flicker of self-loathing that crossed h

h," he said into the phone,

rway, and two of his bodyguards entered, silently and

nd the other behind her back. He lifted her effortlessly i

plush leather seat and sat beside her, his presence fi

stop shivering. She tried to shrug off

clamping down on hers, his g

t you be with your fiancée?" she asked, her voice laced with ice. "I'm flattered you'd

eized her chin, his grip bruis

rled, his face inches from hers. "Don't you e

n. A powerful wave of dizziness suddenly crashed over her. The world

urgery, the constant, gnawing pain-it was all too much.

lids grew heavy and slid shut. Her body we

catching her, pulling her tight against his chest. Her skin was terrifyingly cold. Her pul

driver, his voice cracking with a