Se connecterEventually, unable to stomach the daily humiliation of losing, Grant had stopped sparring with Marcus altogether.Having tested his opponent enough, Thomas looked at Grant and said flatly, "That's all you've got."There was no visible contempt or disdain on his face. And yet the scorn came through unmistakably. For a man as proud as Grant, an attitude like that was simply intolerable. But faced with such a lopsided gap in skill, there was nothing he could do about it.Unable to land a hit, Grant's eyes reddened with rage. He snarled, "You know who the hell I am? Get on your knees and beg, and I might just spare you. Keep this up and don't blame me for..."His threat cut off before he could finish it. A sudden, sharp pain shot through his wrist.Before he could even register what had happened, hot blood sprayed across his face, and something dropped to the floor with a soft thud.Nothing was more unnerving than sudden silence. In the dead quiet that followed, everyone stared at
Grant hadn't survived this long on the street by being an ordinary man. Unable to break free, he immediately went on the offensive, curling his other hand into a fist and swinging hard at Thomas.Thomas's expression stayed unreadable. He let go of Grant's hand, tilted his body slightly, and dodged the blow with ease.Grant had thought his own speed was fast enough. He hadn't expected this man to slip past it so effortlessly. Unlike ordinary street thugs who fought with nothing but brute, disorganized punches and kicks, Grant had gone through rigorous specialized training. Facing off with an ordinary person was nothing to him; he could hold his own even against professional killers. Having his attack shrugged off this easily was something he couldn't stomach.His eyes turned cold, and he lunged at Thomas again. He liked staying on the offensive and hated playing defense. This time, he abandoned his earlier carelessness, watching Thomas's every movement closely.Thomas's expression
Just as Grant was about to pull off his shirt, a gunshot rang out from the direction of the door. A scream followed almost instantly — Wade's — who'd been about to make a run for it.A tall, striking man burst into the room. At the sight of Sharon pinned down on the bed, his pupils contracted, and he strode straight toward her.Furious at the sudden intrusion ruining his moment, Grant cursed and stepped forward."Who the hell are you, barging into my territory..."Grant didn't get to finish. The man kicked him to the ground before he could get another word out, then ignored him entirely and pulled Sharon free from his grip."Sharon, are you all right?"Her vision blurred. For one brief moment, seeing that familiar, handsome face, she thought she was dreaming."Thomas?" she said, staring at him. "...Is it really you?"Thomas looked at her torn, disheveled clothes, a chill settling in the depths of his eyes."Yes. It's me."He shrugged off his own jacket and draped it over he
As he struck Sharon, Grant snarled, "This is what you get for clawing at me, you bitch!"Tears streamed down Sharon's face from the beating, the tearing pain almost more than she could bear. But she wasn't about to just take it lying down. She grabbed a water pitcher from nearby and slammed it into Grant's head with everything she had.The pitcher crumpled from the impact. Blood trickled slowly down his forehead.Wade and Dean, who'd been quietly inching toward the door, both flinched at the sight. They felt a flash of relief that they hadn't let lust get the better of them and joined in the way Grant had. The Kalen heiress was terrifying when pushed too far.It was clear Sharon had thrown everything she had into that blow. If she hadn't already burned through so much strength struggling, and if her whole body weren't aching from the beating, that hit might well have killed him outright.Grant touched the blood on his forehead. Never in his life had a woman gotten the better of
After the struggle, Sharon's hair had come loose, her dress torn and disheveled. Yet her eyes remained sharp and clear, her face showing not a trace of surrender.Wade looked at a loss. "Grant, what... what do we do?"Having had a bit to drink earlier, Grant felt something raw stir in him at Sharon's defiance. He pulled the belt from his waist and weighed it in his hand.Wade's pupils shrank. Having done this kind of thing together before, he knew exactly what Grant intended. When it came to disciplining a woman who wouldn't cooperate, Grant would use a belt or whip to lash her mercilessly until she begged for mercy.But Sharon wasn't like those other women. She was a Kalen family heiress at the end of the day. If she got assaulted, worried about her reputation, she might just swallow the humiliation and stay quiet. But if she got beaten..."Grant..." Wade lost his nerve on the spot. "Maybe we should just call it off? This woman's fierce enough that if she really loses it, we'll a
Sharon fought back so fiercely that the men trying to assault her found themselves unable to get anywhere at first.There were three men in the room: Dean Crowe, Wade Statham, and Grant Marshall. They had something of a reputation on the street, and had long wanted a taste of a high-society woman like Sharon. Ordinary society women wouldn't give men like them a second look, and they'd never dared to make a move on one. This time, they'd been told everything was already arranged for them, that all they had to do was enjoy themselves, and someone else would clean up the mess afterward.The three had hesitated at first. This clearly looked like infighting between rich women, using them as a tool to ruin someone's reputation. It wasn't the first time they'd done this kind of thing. A free gift like this wasn't something to turn down. It wasn't as if they'd targeted the woman themselves; the women had walked into their room on their own. How could that be their fault? If anyone dese
Sharon glanced at Kelly, then quietly looked away."Sharon, are you here to see Theo and Carter?" Kelly's voice was soft and gentle. "They're not here at the moment. Would you like me to take you to them?""That's not necessary," Sharon replied, her tone flat.With that, she stepped around her an
Xavier gave a half-smile, the kind that hovered somewhere between amusement and mockery."When Sharon was surrounded just now, you weren't exactly in a rush to rescue her. And now you want to steal the credit?"Carter's gaze darkened. He had no reply.Kelly, standing beside him, quickly spoke up i
"Sharon knows full well Kelly doesn't have much time left, but she keeps playing her little games. Have you forgotten how she faked being sick, even staged a kidnapping just to get my and Theo's attention?"She's been living the high life all these years, and now that she has Theo, there's no way s
"Carter's out of town on business," Kelly said lightly, her smile touched with a faint, weary grace. "That's the only reason I could meet with you today. Otherwise..."She let the words hang in the air awhile, then continued, "Otherwise, he'd never have allowed me to leave the hospital.""Is that







