Cora attends a company Christmas party at the Sinclair Club, but a twilight stroll into the parking garage ends with a murder she cannot forget. She sees only a tattooed hand and a face she never fully identifies, and the memory haunts her.
The wealthy kingpin, Hades Sinclair, makes it clear he suspects she knows more than she’s saying. He cautions her not to speak to the police and promises to take care of the killer if she can stay quiet.
A near-violent assault has Hades offering protection, and a fragile, complicated intimacy grows between them. When the line between protection and possession blurs, their bond is tested, and where danger lurks just around the corner.
Be Warned: anal sex, BDSM
Excerpt:
As she ran, she heard him behind her but refused to look to see how close he was. Once past the desks, she rounded a corner and it was a straight shot to the stairs. She zoomed around the threshold and ran up them as fast as possible. The cavernous stairway echoed with his heavy footsteps.
“Get back here, bitch!”
That terrified her and when she burst into the foyer, she was gulping breaths. The security guard shot to his feet and she ran up to him.
“I’m being followed,” she panted, pointing to the stairway.
The guard frowned, stood, and headed to the stairs. They were empty. He looked back at her, and she saw he didn’t believe her. Heading back to his position, she stood there regaining her breath, wondering what the hell she could do.
Hades popped into her head. She pulled out her cell phone and his card and made the call. It rang several times, and just as she thought he wouldn’t pick up, the call connected.
“Cora?”
“Yes, it’s me,” she said quickly. “I’m being chased and I’m scared. Please help me.”
“Where are you?”
“At the LC Group. In the lobby.”
“I’ll be there as soon as possible. Stay where you are. I’m in a black Bentley.”
“Okay.”
She hung up and walked over to the corner of the lobby and sat to wait in one of the chairs, staring out the window to watch for Hades. Her knee bounced in anxiety. A noise had her glancing behind her and saw that the guard was gone, leaving her all alone in the brightly lit area. Unease slithered down her spine and she rose. With her heart pounding, she went over to the desk, glancing around for him, but she was all alone.
“Hurry, Hades,” she muttered, turning back to the window to keep watch. Each minute that passed was an eternity.
Finally, she saw his car and saw him park a few spots down the street. She left the foyer to hurry to him, but as she passed by the alley between the LC Group’s high-rise and the one next to it, an arm suddenly grabbed her. She let out a scream as she was dragged into the darkness. Terror exploded through her brain.
