ystem screamed like a dying anima
mping on it with all her body weight, but the electronic
hicle to lose all traction. The rear end whipped out, sending the car sliding
his face and locked his core, his muscles instantl
ht side of the Maybach's hood caved in around the hydrant. A geyser of high-prewheel with the force of a heavyweight punch. It sl
the reinforced side window. The world fractured into a diz
r filled the cabin. Keira's lungs seized. She couldn't pull in a breath. Her
out of his way. His dark, calculating eyes swept over the
eavy door groaned and popped open. He stepped out into the freezing downpour,
a tight barricade around the wrecked Maybach. Alex Thorne, Hillard's executive
face drained of color. He reached out to grab Hillard's arm
door handle and ripped the door open with brute force. He r
. His movements were rigid and cold, but his hands
illard's chest. The oversized black hood slipped off her he
d look
The air vanished from his lungs. His
nvoluntarily tightened around Keira, pulling her flush against his chest as if trying to embed her into his own body. His knuckles turned stark white from the strain. It wasn't an act of anger or contro
ight with panic. "Do we call th
le ticked visibly. He forced the air ba
est
urgent. He laid her down on the expansive leather bench seat in the ba
ity contractors in the rain to scrub the Maybach's data driv
Long Island. Hillard carried Keira's soaked body through the grand foyer, ignoring the wat
The filthy rainwater and street grime instantly soa
the room carrying a stainless-steel trauma kit. He immedia
oaked jacket. He frowned deeply. "Severe malnutriti
ar and lit it, the heavy smoke swirling around his face. His eyes were na
his kit. "I'll administer a heavy sedative
s voice cracke
he needle hover
ling a thick cloud of smoke. "I want her fully c
her in an oversized, dry silk robe. As the nurse rolled up Keira's left s
zens of tiny, dark n
ircles were that Elias Barnett's granddaughter was a hopeless, degenerate junkie. The physical evide
port on the nightstand, and bowed his head. He and the nurse
remained standing by the window, the cherry-red tip of his cigar
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