She let out a long, slow breath she hadn't realized she was holding. The adrenaline that had flooded her sys

n, but the air was thic

on the thick carpet as he approached Finch, whom he had hauled back inside for questioning just before the door latched

e stared into the man's terrified eyes, a predator studying its c

motion, Hart reached out and rip

"Do you have any idea who I am?" he ras

o his own pocket and pulled out Finch's phone. The screen lit up, displa

or. Three sharp,

the man could make a sound. His eyes, cold a

oise complaint from the adjoinin

e, his voice had changed-smooth, polished, the tone of a man who belonged in a penthouse.

course, sir.

ed at him. The switch-from brute force to polished pr

k into it, crossing her legs, the borrowed shirt riding up her thighs. She tried to project a

ed on the message thread. Then, he a

top of the scr

gly clear: The drug should have k

ot formed in her stomach. Her fingers dug into the pl

stoo

ood over him, her shadow falling across his pale, sweating face. Th

een Aurelia and Hart. "She set it all up! She said you

he lifted her foot and brought her he

ollowed by a scr

his face contorted in pain. From the corner of her eye, Aureli

er voice a whipcrack in the quiet ro

ra," he gasped, his voice tight with pain

s blood

room. Without hesitation, he reached up into the HVAC vent above the te

forefinger was a tiny black d

eel of his expensive leather shoe down on it. The crunch of plastic and

ting through her anger. The way he moved, the

, her voice sharp. Her eyes were locked on his

down to adjust the cuff of his

ne flat. It was a perfect, generic backstory for a h

, then looked away. She didn't fully beli

a dismissive hand at the whimpering man on

, ma

s fight completely gone, stumbled along, a puppet with its strings cut. Hart dragged him not

ked shut, and

last dregs of the drug, combined with the adrenaline crash, hit her all a

e-fragmented, chaotic, and hot-assaulted her. A strong hand on her waist. The scen

her fingers to the bridge of her no

instantly, saw the way she was leaning against the wall, her

d out to

ushed her shoulder, she reco

e!" The words

ack hit the cool plaster of the opposite wall. Her

something-hurt, maybe-crossed his face befo

raising his hands slightly in a gestur

e panic down. She pushed herself off the wall, her spine rig

lying on the floor by the bed. Sh

all emotion. "I'll have my assistant wire your

ad happened between them to a transactio

y, dangerous. His eyes, which had been calm moments