nna

le in my b

essing me against a

I've fought my way out of it a thousand times

mp

," he

the hallway outside.

Ryker Thorne walked into St.

sneaking into a sports clinic in the mi

the d

ndle r

was shaking. Burning. His breath came in ra

ized. He's sick,

ered against his palm. "Let

id qu

ndle t

ught my jaw, and crus

y when he grabbed me. I know

ng impossib

aking

inst mine. He made a low, broken sound into m

d two inches.

le making out. Gr

door

tsteps

n't le

iss changed. Slower. Deeper. Like

so hard he hi

slapp

he'd do. I yanked the door open and ran, my face burning, my

er

hi

rom three-hundred-pound defensemen

wrist. I've got the fast

't eve

nto the thin slice of l

y wrist toward my elbow, burning like poison. The first flare

e fading. Sh

n was

ip. Her blood

e hell

d. My head of security doesn't usually sweat. "Jesus, t

d. Stared

"How? Dr. Kerr said nothing would stop

n't k

merica's Ice Princess. The woman every ta

blood matches mine. One bag a month, and my disease stays

wasn't in

time in my life a strang

st one

maced. "Vanessa's manager. She says Vanessa

empty hallway. T

intment," I said

ssa

of my Escalade, I watched Ryker Thorne wal

t saying you fainted, and he drops everything. The whol

led f

nails cut i

d carpet, every playoff game. America's Ice Princess and Bo

ver once

long as his illness stays asleep, nobody w

e today," I said quietly.

nna

oset had never happened. The VIP patient had cancele

nd Mia's on the other as we walk

he scream split

y help! She's not breathing! P

that

while I was dragged

urn

knees on the sidewalk, sobbing over a bl

ie

tain was begging a crowd of stran

only doctor