Chapter 2

Evelyn stumbled forward as Julian dragged her by the wrist.

The rain ran down her blonde hair and dripped onto his polished leather shoes. She grabbed his thick fingers with her free hand, trying to pry them off.

Julian just squeezed harder. The bones in her wrist ground together with a sickening pop. Evelyn let out a sharp gasp of pain.

Red and blue lights suddenly flashed against the wet pavement.

A New York City police officer pulled his motorcycle to the curb. The flashing lights cut through the heavy gray storm.

Evelyn felt a sudden rush of hope. She yanked her arm hard and screamed over the rain.

"Officer! This is a standard traffic accident! He has no right to hold me here!"

Officer Davies unclipped his ticket book and marched toward them. He looked annoyed by the weather. But as he got closer, his eyes dropped to the license plate on the Rolls Royce. Then he looked up and saw Julian's hard, cold face.

The officer froze in his tracks.

He shoved the ticket book back into his pocket so fast he almost dropped it. A nervous, sweating smile stretched across his face.

"Mr. Hawthorne. I apologize for the disturbance. The road conditions are a mess today."

Evelyn stared at the cop. Her mouth fell open. The heavy weight of absolute powerlessness crashed down on her shoulders. The law meant nothing here.

Julian did not even look at the police officer. He tilted his head slightly, looking down at Evelyn with a cruel, mocking curve on his lips.

"A standard traffic accident?" Julian sneered. "Gus. Tell the officer how we handle the repair costs for this vehicle."

Gus pulled a thick, gold-embossed card from his jacket and handed it to the cop.

"This is the direct line to the Hawthorne Group Legal Department. We will be filing a lawsuit directly against this woman."

The word lawsuit made Evelyn's blood run cold.

Her stomach dropped. If a lawsuit went public, her father's fragile company would be completely destroyed by tomorrow morning.

She bit down hard on her lower lip. She bit it until she tasted the sharp metallic tang of blood. She forced her shoulders to drop.

"Julian," she whispered, her voice shaking. "Mr. Hawthorne. Please. We can settle this privately. I will use my insurance."

"Insurance?"

Julian laughed. It was a dark, ugly sound. He stepped into her space, backing her up until her spine hit the wet side of the Rolls Royce. His nose almost touched hers.

"Your pathetic policy limit wouldn't even cover the paint job on this door."

His voice was low, dangerous, and left absolutely no room for argument.

The police officer quickly turned around. He started pulling yellow tape across the street, actively pushing away the pedestrians who were trying to take photos. He was giving them complete privacy on a public street.

Julian did not waste another second. He planted his large hand flat against the small of Evelyn's back. He shoved her hard into the spacious rear cabin of the Rolls Royce.

Evelyn fell onto the soft leather seats. Before she could even push herself up, Julian's massive frame climbed in right after her.

The heavy door slammed shut.

The sound of the storm and the city vanished instantly. The cabin was dead silent. It felt like a padded prison cell.

Julian reached up and ripped his wet tie from his neck. He threw it onto the floorboard. His dark eyes locked onto Evelyn in the dim light of the car.

Evelyn pressed her back hard against the opposite door. She wrapped her arms around her wet chest, shivering violently. The air in the car was thick with his body heat and the smell of cedar.

Julian reached out and pressed a silver button on the center console.

A thick, soundproof partition slowly glided up, completely cutting off the front seat. The space became suffocatingly private.

He leaned forward. His broad shoulders blocked out the little light coming through the tinted windows. Evelyn pressed her cheek against the cold glass of the window, trying to get away from him.

"You said you wanted to settle this privately?" Julian reached out. His long fingers caught a wet strand of her blonde hair. He rubbed it slowly between his thumb and index finger.

Evelyn swallowed hard. Her throat was completely dry. She nodded once.

"Yes. As long as it is within my means."

Julian dropped the strand of hair. His hand shot out and his fingers clamped hard around her jaw. He forced her head up, making her look directly into his furious eyes.

"Within your means?" he repeated. His jaw ticked violently. The muscles in his neck strained.

"Evelyn Rhodes. You owe me a debt you could not pay in ten lifetimes."

His thumb dragged roughly across her trembling bottom lip. The rough friction sent a violent shiver down her spine.

Her heart hammered against her ribs. She read the dark promise in his eyes. He did not want her money. He wanted to break her.

Julian let go of her jaw. He reached into the leather compartment next to him and pulled out a blank checkbook. He tossed it onto her wet lap.

"You either write me a seven-figure check right now," Julian said. His eyes slowly dragged down to where her wet silk shirt clung to her breasts. "Or you take full physical responsibility for what you owe me."