She hesitated for a few seconds before finally telling the truth.


    "You got punished by the family-was it because Walter found out we got married? You''re basically untouchable in the Ferguson family. If anyone could break through your security at Palm Bay, it''d have to be Walter. He might go easy on you, but me? He''d get rid of me in a heartbeat. I want to leave, but I have to stay alive first."


    Dn rested a hand on her wrist, then gently pinched her cheek. It didn''t hurt-it almost felt like a quiet kind of affection.


    ra quickly brushed his hand away, giving him a weird look and wiping her cheek as if he''d left a mark.


    Dn''s lips curved into a small smile, but it faded as fast as it appeared. He called Aiden over and gave a simple order: "Check it out."


    Less than ten minutester, they heard noises from downstairs.


    Dn got into his wheelchair and ra, almost out of habit, moved behind him to push as they rode the elevator down.


    Two men were kneeling in the foyer, shaking all over when they heard the wheelchair approach.


    One of them started babbling, "Sir, we really didn''t have a choice, please believe us."


    Even as he begged, he kept ncing at ra out of the corner of his eye.


    When Dn and ra got closer, the man suddenly whipped out a gun and aimed it straight at ra.


    ra didn''t even think-she just reacted, yanking Dn down with her and diving behind the sofa.


    Bang!


    The shot rang out, but it wasn''t from the man''s gun. Someone else had fired first.


    The man never got the chance to pull the trigger-he was taken out by a bullet from somewhere farther away.


    ra heard the gunshot, but she had no idea who''d been hit. Instinctively, she started checking Dn for injuries, her hands searching for blood.


    Dn saw the worry on her face, his Adam''s apple bobbing as he swallowed. Then, without warning, he wrapped his arms tight around her, pulling her close like he wanted to blend her right into himself.


    ra was still panicking, worried he''d been shot, but suddenly being hugged like that made her feel like she was tangled up in thick vines, squeezed so tight she could barely breathe.


    She was just about to push him away when he stood up first, pulling her up with him.


    Meanwhile, the two men were now pinned face-down on the floor,pletely subdued. The gun had been kicked aside andy quietly by the coffee table.


    ra picked it up and realized the magazine was still full. The man hadn''t even fired a shot.


    How many people did Dn have hidden around Palm Bay, anyway? She took a deep breath, looking over at the two men being held down. They were shaking so badly, neither dared to look at Dn.


    He sat in the middle of the room, his voice cold and t. "Deal with them."


    Like he was talking about taking out the trash, not ending two lives.


    The men immediately turned to ra, pleading with her. "Ms. ra, we really didn''t have a choice! Please, for the sake of our families-our kids, our


    vel


    parents-please ask him to let us go


    this once!"


    ra took several steps back. She couldn''t even look at them-after all, they''d just tried to kill her.


    She sat down next to Dn, watching as the men were dragged away.


    Dn nced at one of the guards. "Everyone else been questioned?"


    ra didn''t recognize the person


    who answered. He waspleteret


    shrouded in ck, even his hair


    hidden under a huge hood, like sunlight itself would burn him.


    "All questioned," the figure replied.


    In other words, no one else was a problem.


    Dn nodded, then suddenly pulled ra down to sit beside him.


    She had no idea what he was doing and was about to move away when he introduced her, almost casually. ara. Someone you need to keep


    The hooded figure lifted his head just enough to nce at her.


    It was only a couple seconds, but ra felt like he''d memorized every detail


    about her her face, her build, everything.


    He feltpletely emotionless, like a living scanner.


    "I got it," he said, nodding. "I''ll remember."


    ra couldn''t figure out why Dn had bothered with that introduction. Was this


    guy really that important?


    The man in ck disappeared as quickly as he''de.


    Dn''s attitude toward him was anything but friendly; if anything, he was


    unusually serious.


    ra stared after the man''s retreating figure, and for some reason, she suddenly thought of Z—someone else who seemed to belong in the dark.