Contracted Hearts

ss fit her like

woman staring back. The woman in the mirror had her dark hair swept up, her skin scrubbed clean of

ike a high-s

a soldier putt

e a dying man's chest, were trembling again. She took a deep, shuddering breath. *You are not going to brea

d out of

ws looked out over the glittering Chicago skyline, but the glass was tinted an

ving room, Marc

s of amber liquid in his hand, looking like a predator surveying his territory. A

ingering on the crimson fabric. For a fraction of a second, something dark and hun

n time,"

from him. "I'm not doing this

raised a hand, silencing him. He looked at Elen

pped. "This is a business transaction. And I don

arge mahogany desk and picked up a thick, leather-bound

he top page was a

es, her anger risi

eave the premises without the Husband or an assigned armed escort.**Clause 3: Separate bedroo

a prisoner?"

, his voice flat. "And I don't prot

ssed out Clause 2. In the margin, she wrote in sharp, angry handwriting:

ound and pushed it bac

tightened. "Your hospital is compromised

ith fury. "It is the only thing I have left. If you take that

cus's grey eyes searched her face, looking

e picked up the pen and si

oked at the man who was now, legally, her husband. "Why?" she ask

d the window, his back to her. When he spoke, the ice

s a DEA agent. Undercover. Cortez found out, and h

nthouse, he didn't look like an untouchable billi

s of my heart, Doctor," Marcus said so

terrified of him, angry at him. Bu

aloud. "Both of us are just t

ply nodded toward the judge

ries of legal vows spoken in a silent room. When the judge prono

massive, glittering diamond,

fingers were warm against her icy skin. He slid the r

in for the tra

her head at the last seco

r. He just hovered there, his lips a millimeter from her

," he murmured, his voice a low, rough r

ce again an unreadable mask. "T

ed in front of a set of heavy double doors at the end of the hall. Elena assumed it wa

eside her head, boxing her in. His chest was inches fr

s. He smelled like ce

said, his grey eyes dropping to h

red into the master bedroom,

eatening to beat out of her chest. She stumbled into her own room

alone.

he carpet was plush and expensive. She looked down at her left hand. The diamon

dge. It felt l

the corner. Her foster mother, Karen, had insisted she carry a lapto

te for a distraction, fo

on the screen, brig

HOLLOWAY PRONOUNCED DEAD IN HIS HOSPITAL

blood ra

o.

He was supposed to go into protective custody. Someone had w

The cartel's reach was inside the hospital.

process the horro

The screen lit up. The call

n was okay. She reached for

er voice cracking. "Are

wer. Just the lo

male voice spoke.

quez," the voice said, thick with a Spanish accent.

pped the phone so hard the plas

hat we say. You will retract your police statement by dawn. You will tel

ell, we'll send her to you in pieces. A finger

ouldn't think. She was trapped in a penthouse, married to

hoked out. "

e click

heavy diamond ring burnin

*