worked

and desperation, saw his chance. He

he next, a rough hand was clamped over her mouth, and a musc

ledge. For a heart-stopping second, she teetered

ere was

deafening roar that swallowed all other sound. Her stomach lurched

osed h

ment, one thought, clear and

kill me

n shield, a disposable pawn to ensure the safety of his precious, idealized Kenzie. Th

n accepta

was the sterile, antisep

r. She blinked, her eyes struggling to

g her IV drip. The

ou' re a very luc

" Ellery' s voice

ed on a safety net the hotel had installed for window washers. A few broken ribs, a concu

nurse' s words echoing in

known abo

ad known there was a chance she would survive, while ensuring the threat to Kenzie was permanen

d tired, his expensive suit rumpled. He came to her bed

out to touc

ed her h

out a long, weary sigh and grabbed

g me?" he asked

dn' t

, the one he always used when he wanted something. "Do

ulled her hand

the net," she sa

that what this is about? You' re mad I saved you? What h

twisted his selfish act into some kind of

aid employee

oice barely a whisper. "Kenzie mu

s, then nodded, relieved

s a mess. I' ll come b

d walked out

er cam

e. He was a different person with her. Gentle, attentive, catering to her every whim. He would feed her ice cream, wrap

. No jealousy, no heartbreak. Only a

lobby. Kenzie, her face a mask of sweet concern, ru

! Dawson, we should give her

disingenuous smile Ellery had come to expect, a sta

ing possessively on Dawson' s thigh. Ellery sat silen

urned, her express

calibrated mix of innocence and anxiety. "Do

son' s hands tightened on the stee

nial, Ellery leaned forward, a s

urse he

eyes wide. Dawson shot Ellery a p

e demanded, he

dened. She looked

Yo

stopped loving her. How he would talk about her for hours, how every woman he ever met was just a pale imitati

tears, her face buried in Dawson' s sh

were alone, he pulled the car over, his e

"What was that? What

asked, her voice calm. "A perfect love

om hers, his eyes searching her

," he said, his voice a low, frust

a wave of exhaustion washing over her.

. There was no point.