tion room at City Hall. Behind the mahogany desk, the cler

esk, looking down at the standard marriage

left wrist, Alyce picked up the fountain pen with her right h

polished wood and tapped the p

ng, Mr. Rei

, took the pen, and slashed

u begged for today, Al

nto the paper with shaking hands and hel

ou both. You are now le

ut Barclay's large hand inter

tificates back to

t my permission, not a word of

pped forward, reachin

y legal d

rist. With a sharp tug, he pulled her off balance, dropp

rules," he murmured, his breath hot against h

f up, startled by the iron strength in his arm-nothing

ithholding my proper

gers slid up to stroke the slender nape of her n

ch court in New York d

w his hand and pushe

o the e

back into the Maybach's rear

he console, took a sip, and glanced out of the corner o

the inter

the Brennan estate with a fi

apped up, her b

ng? I'm not takin

t now. I have no use for a madwoma

n twenty minutes later, Dr. Arthur was already s

nd over the interior door

octor! My mind is

seat, his heavy hands pinned her shoulders dow

way, swabbed her upper arm with an al

down in Mount Sinai flashed behind Alyce's eyes. Tears spil

cracked, and in her daze, a whispered

His breath hitched for a fraction of a second bef

truggles weakened. Her eyelids drooped until he

tracks drying on her pale chee

oke in a cold, indifferent tone, "

slightly at his boss's steady posture befor

side the door twenty-four hours a day," Ba

rennan family maids whispered behind their hands, convinced t

slid up, and the black convo

ll beneath the down comforter, her freshly ba