or of the guest

e plush carpet. The slack-jawed, terrified expressi

est heaved. She gripped the edge of the cold m

ba

n, the deafening roar, Charlton's large body throwing itself over h

r shoulders. She closed her eyes an

um of a wheelchair moto

elf onto the edge of the massive bed. She pulled her knees to her ch

om. His dark eyes swept the space,

seated form. "Don't think you're safe just because you're in this h

the mattress toward him. Before he could react, she reached out and

y jerked backward, but his dead legs r

ide and shining. "Legs broken," she said, h

ne ever touched his legs. No one ever spoke

om his throat. His eyes burne

ted his knee, a solid, rhythmic

e violent rage in his chest suddenly fractured. A s

hard into her cheek. He forced her face up. "If you can't fix them," he

ers of her mouth stretched into a wi

jaw as if he had been burned. He grabbed the wheels of his chair, spu

s face. Her jaw ached from his gri

at the pitch-black grounds of the estate

red to check its contents. She ripped open a hidden seam in the lining. Inside lay a small leather roll.

eather roll un

that led to Charlton's master bathroom

. Charlton. A physical therapist was in there,

e. Her stomach twisted into a tight knot. She wanted to ki

She stared at the ceiling and began to mentally map out the neurotoxin in his system.

from her pocket and wiped

room finally stopped. Sil

smile touched her lips. The Poole family. The