ay was de

wn at Carlisle's rigid profile. The butler's mouth opened slig

wait for their

ke a soft sound on the carpet. She positioned

the rubber grips of the push handles. The hea

spine snapp

s suit strained. His body, conditioned to rej

. His voice was a lo

ignor

er the carpet. Her movements were surprisingly steady. She focused, treating the complex chair

sucked in a

aching out to grab the handles back.

and devoid of emotion that the butler's hands droppe

VIP elevator at t

used the other to press the down butto

re the footrests didn't bump the doorframe. She stepped in beside

vator d

polished metal doors. He could see Eileen's reflection. He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest, th

announced th

d air of the underground garage. The smell of

were fully open,

ed from behind a concrete pil

mpsuits lunged forward. They held heavy DSLR c

was the man

e Vinson family fi

ounced off the concrete wa

cheek. He hated this. He hated the cameras capturing his seated, paralyzed form. He hated t

the estate bodyguards could sprint

the chair, planting herself

pped it off her shoulders. With a wide, sweeping motio

draped over him lik

d. The harsh smell of the garage was replaced by the scent embedded in the coat-a

coat down with her left ha

pointed a single, rigid finger

uck off," s

, physical weight. Her eyes were wide, the pup

brities, actually flinched. His knees buckled slightly, and he

ounded agains

the paparazzi, forming a solid wall of muscle. Th

dn't wast

pushed. She moved fast, steering the coat-dra

eady had the r

xpertly lifted Carlisle from the chair and transferred him to the lea

h coat off the seat, and slid in

ed door shut. It closed wi

the Maybach was a sensory deprivation tank. The only sou

ately pressed a button on the console. The thick, black soundp

ollar of his suit jacket. His movement

e no longer just cold; they were filled with a turbulent, calculat

gnored h

head to look out the tinted window. The concrete pill

etched, thick a

ting rock anthem s

as ringing insid

in the dim cabin. The caller ID read 'Gwen - M

her. His eyes t

nd immediately tapped the speaker icon. She rested the phone