's voice trembled, his face turning ghostly pale. If she s

surged forward, brandishing

ircular stands, darting between row

on instinct. Her hands flew to a nearby cart, yanking off a

the third went down hard as the box exploded on impact, scattering

a sheet, sinking to the floor in panic. "Oh no, t

arely registered as

ht the swell of footsteps comin

s frantic movement, t

, grabbing the nearest railing and ha

, sending it crashing down onto the guards

eyes. She'd just taken out half his security team. For a

got away, it would be his head. With shaking hands, he

rang out

ving him frozen in shock as a tall, formidable man stepped out of th

rm jerked, struck the column just above the

tled her, and h

ying to catch herself be

forward, fingers clamping around h

ant, she found herself pulled against a chest that fe

ash out, but the sight of Charlie

eatures even more striking. Marked by an aristocratic chill, Charlie'

ittering across the marble, the soft clatter breaking th

n the sweat on her brow and the angry red marks aro

as she climbed, the sheer determination that set her ap

plaything-she was a for

s thumb pressing down on her lower lip as his voice cut through

s glimmer in his eyes, remembering the fear he inspired in every

nd, irreplaceable," Charlie remarked, his smile r

s to private auction rooms usually drowned in wealth and power. Yet here he was, threatenin

ing in her gaze. She had seen greed and coldness

lightly at her earlobe, as though toying with a bauble. "Didn

only for a heartbeat. Not

ity and an army of guards at his back, brute force was not an option. The best move w

mares that the memory of how she ended up str

mute that not a single word had ever slip

xpression sharp and wild as she glared at Ch

eyes stayed startlingly clear, unt

rred a cruel impulse in him, a desire to crush them before

thing whose only talent is running," Cha

nce, wondering if he was re

ched down on solid ground, mu

nt. If she angled left, she might have a cha

ing her escape. "It doesn't m

t through the crowd, their

, utterly at a loss as to w

herself lurching helplessly toward Char

drawing her flush against him. Heat radiated through her thin shirt

ing. "You destroyed my prized possession. That