nnan estate, sharp stones cutting into her soles as she sprint

er wrist upstairs, Barclay had called off the engagement in dis

Stop th

front of the lead armored Ma

eeched across the gravel, the heavy chrome

wn halfway. Chief assistant Ira Perk

side. Mr. Reid is o

r door and slapped her bloodstained right hand agai

! Open t

sharp profile. Sitting in his wheelchair inside the cabin,

ers?" His voice was low, his right index fin

handle, and pulled the door open before the guards cou

arwood. Barclay's brows knitte

t o

his lapels with her right hand and

Right now.

a second, then let out

n hour ago, and now begging for marri

his fingers around her right wrist, p

ed her head, opened her mouth, and sank h

cket and bit deep into the hard muscle beneath

and drew the handgun from his

os

ing out on his forehead. He didn't push the trembling

wrist still seeping blood through a curtain cord while her teeth s

d coated her tongue. Slowly, she unclenched her jaws

she stared strai

ll know that the head of the Reid conglomerate is a cow

Adam's apple bobbing once before a low

cing her head up as his rough thumb wipe

ath brushed the tip of her nose. "B

ache in her jaw

go to City

er chin and smooth

he ordered th

ipped on the s

sure? The fa

yself?" Barclay's voic

gates. Alyce's spine finally loosened, and

her left wrist split open again from the stru

nt seat, Ira reached into the cabin's built-in medical

till closed. "Press the wound. I have no use for a

e gash, wound the elastic wrap around her wrist in firm, even layers, then wrapped the black silk h

s brow twitched slightly at the crisp,

he Manhattan traffic ahead, the

columns of City Hall rising ahead, her fing