violent, and utterly

ed the bitter, rich heat of high-proof bourbon, the phantom smoke of tobacco, and

re body went r

ensory reality of her-the soft, trembling curve of her lips, the fragrance of white gardenias clinging to her skin, the d

n groan rumbled dee

r narrow waist, pulling her upward until she was seated squarely on his muscular thighs. His mouth opened aga

hint of her earlier wound, his thumb pres

, the world dissolved int

ck Coleman like a

his hands gripping her shoulders and shoving her back agai

zing with a feral, terrifying heat he hadn't felt in a decade. A vein pu

ild, her lips swollen, flushed, and parted. A brilliant

e seconds, Mr. Cox," she taunted softly, he

g back, running a trembling hand through his hair

om. She pointed a trembling, bloodstained finger at the floor beneath them. "Last night, on the fifteen

he air in the penthouse p

did yo

had no paper trail for the organ plot yet; accusing Cristine of murder without evidence would only make her sound hysterical. She still ne

wore my custom veil. Branson had her pinned to the couch, bragging about how stupid and blind

hem forward, tossing the

er private jets and her charity galas, while she laughs behind your back and fucks my fian

lace on the table. The silenc

ropped until the air felt brittle enough to snap. His hands slowly

ved his encrypted satellite phone,

in

, Bo

uite 1502, the electronic lock audit trails, and the service elevator logs between 23:00 hours

. Give me f

to the floor-to-ceiling window, staring down at the silver expans

ing from this man was terrifying. Branson was an arrogant boy playing with his father's trust fu

rty seconds later, t

ruggedized, military-spec tablet in his hands. Withou

tapped t

crystal-clear, captu

robe, slipped through the threshold. Branson Mccullough met her at the door, pulling

om, carrying Gisela's veil, intentionally grinding the delicate lace be

s the glass, pausing on Cris

rl out of duty to an old family tragedy, poured tens of millions into her med

erous viper, sliding into the bed of the man who

en he turned around to face Gisela, h

bsolute resolve of an apex pre