BOUND BY BLOOD AND DESIRE

led of rain an

ts bound together, her breath uneven as

were cold agains

d her into did nothing to stop the shive

she was b

ct. A debt t

ed at her when he signed he

ng delivered to a ma

the Devil. A man n

fists, nails biti

ouldn

n front of the men who trea

, she was

ar sl

dow, she saw it-a mans

hesitation, as if the world it

the car rolled forward, stoppin

and a strong hand

deep voic

Maybe if she stayed

the man

stepped out, the cold

attention, watching her w

n-she f

he even

ted, heavy, suffocating

he finally

art st

at the top of the sto

nce so commanding that the world seemed

as the abyss-lo

his prey.Her pulse pounded

afraid. She trie

en-he

ld see right

s already his, watch

id coldly, with a bored

ard, hands clasped toge

I-I brought her

leave Valerie. It ma

greed,"

ed the steps, his eyes s

t deliberate

nsed as he stopped j

l-towering

was suffocating. Sh

d. His fingers brus

ow,deceptiv

hated how she re

deepened.

her palms. "I don

A dark, dan

e you're wro

was velvet

urned to h

," Mason said, sna

tepped

g a co

ed. She wished she coul

on continued. "Your daughter

ckered to on

dropped at her

ne

ith shaking hands, but Maso

ai

grew h

hed inside

a gun.Valerie's

oze. He didn'

aid, his voice calm. "And now

ined of color. Fear evide

er rested on

ted withou

ard, placing her

to

ards t

brow, looking a

" he mu

more like.But she had

let him tak

voice steady. "You alrea

tudied her, trying to

lowered

ting," h

men. "Get him o

ow breath as her fat

she didn't want him to di

n grabbed

lse sk

is breath brushin

one act of merc

in pri

on a man who so

oat tig

e knew-he

or her. Hadn't tried to st

ad.Not out

se now, s

on never let go

ide, his grip fir

tumble. Refused

ors closed behind her

his place.She wasn't

e cut throug

in my house,

t him. "And

A slow, w

won

t his certaint

knew every move

waiting for

ply. "What do yo

r, his scent danger

her hair, twirling i

n-he wh

, because y

omach

the first ti

have just made a deal

was no g