Stolen Fortune, Stolen Heart: The Caged Ward

fell to her knees, shielding her eyes from the flying gravel. Chase

y on the far side of the helipad, its engines

didn't run. He walked toward the scene with a chilling calm, his suit jacket unbuttoned and flap

sted into a snarl of pure h

Cinnamon. He gave a sharp, almost imperceptible nod to

aving the box cutter. He took a

easured. "Look at her, Chase. She came up here, but she's

ed at it, then back at Chase. The gears in his mind were turning, seeing not just a threat, but an opportunity. A

Chase

uro continued, taking another deliberate step forward. "You thi

ifted entirely to Arturo. He lunged away from the

security guard who had been circling tackled him from the side, a brutal, effici

him, while the first retrieved the weapon. It was

ared at Arturo, who was calmly adjusting his cuffs as hi

dark, burning with an emotion she cou

e didn't ask if she was

th both hands, his gri

me," he c

p at him, he

n he ki

ruising force. He tasted of copper and adrenaline. He kissed her like he was tr

r balance. For a moment, the world stopped. The wind, the noise, th

ge to millions of screens. WattsKiss wa

go of her face. He pressed his foreh

e could hear. "Your life belongs to me. You do not

a strange, twisted cocktail of

her from the camera. He wrapped his arm around her waist, lif

me as the police, finally arriving on t

ed her in. He sat next to her, his thigh pressing against hers. He took her h

ed out the window. Down below, on the stree

. He was staring straight

n't have died if he jumped.

need to ri

as a

to a PR stunt. He had turned her t

is pocket with his free hand and wiped the palm that had touched Chase. He sc

nnamon that had nothing

, yes. But he ha

e. But she