Battl

ood, clean leather, and raw auth

incts flared. I opened my heavy eyelids and looked

Lyn

gainst his chest, trying

en stepped back slightly, shifting his iron grip fr

loosened his support, my knees gave out completely. Desperate not to

The old thoracic damage from the car accident was constrictin

gainst his sleeve. "Could you... take me to the nearest

ying my face with calculating scruti

y desperate g

is muscular arms slid beneath my shoulders and the bend of my kn

hed shirt, the fierce, furnace-like heat radiating from his broad shoulders felt o

orm in his eyes as he tilted his head back

y hands, averting my

y through the rain, crossing the avenue into th

brought a wave of relief. My tense muscles we

urs from the nursing staf

tside the window, the midnight sky was illuminated by a dazzling, sy

ords echoed

rom the Bay just for me... he sai

s of illuminated drones for

OVE IS

e l

rue love, what were the l

med Genevra from the start, instead of draggi

the window, my ey

my canvas bag. My fingers brushed against th

two years, my devotion was gone forever, but I refus

tal piece into the trash, when my eyes suddenly locked w

tactical jacket draped over his arm, his

f relentless machining. Why throw it into the

ld only remind me

for bringing me to the clinic. If you don't mind the crude

ead of an industrial defense contractor; he possessed access to the finest e

stepped forward. Without a single word, his large, calloused

Langl

utomatic sliding doors of the emergency room

m. I was running thin on patience-Genevra's rooftop celebration had been in full swi

ator bay, a tall, imposing figure

discipline of an apex predator. I instinctively cast a

the front of his

tie clip, catching the harsh fluorescent lights

ld shock sei

ors. Through the glass panel, my eyes locked with a p

e exact chamfer angle... I had watched Jolene spend late nights at

niversary, fastened to

oss

so hard my teeth ground together, and barked at my road captain: "Hand me that gift bo

ather saddlebag, pulling out the small, v

an ER physician hurried out from behind th

us. "She had a severe hypothermic collapse accompanied by acute respiratory dist

ruption. I glanced down at the casing in my grip, realizing a public hospital c

deep into the inner pocket

at the road captain, keeping my voice low and lethal. "Pull th

oor open, marching towa