I spun around to face him, shocked at the man standing only a few feet away. While I was no fool in that criminals came in all sizes, shapes, and economic statuses, I was floored how incredibly good looking he was. His shoulder-length shaggy dark hair seemed to glisten in the fluorescent light, his deep blue eyes reminding me of the finest sapphires under the sparkling LED lights.

  But it was his perfectly chiseled, aristocratic features that set him apart from the thousands of men I walked past on a daily basis. With his square jaw and the two-day stubble, carved cheekbones and skin tinged with a hint of a bronze hue, he appeared as if he’d walked off a runway for a men’s fashion magazine. Except even in what was easily a five- or six-thousand-dollar suit, he still appeared to be one of the most rugged and masculine men I’d ever laid eyes on.

  That didn’t take away from the fact he was a cold-blooded killer.

  “Who are you?” I asked, my tone a tiny bit demanding.

  He wore a look of amusement on his face as he slowly lowered his gaze all the way to my ratty tennis shoes. Of course the bastard was concentrating on just how horrible I must look in my rattiest of clothes. “Are you sure you’re a veterinarian?”

  “Yeah, the diploma I hung on the wall from Cornell University makes it all nice and official. You know, an Ivy League college and one of the best veterinary schools in the country? Oh, maybe you wouldn’t know since you’re obviously nothing but a thug.”

  “Awful mouthy for a woman who witnessed a murder.”

  Oops. There was that. “Not by choice but yes, I’m a goddamn vet and this is my place.”

  “Well, if that’s the case, then you might prove to be helpful.”

  “How so?”

  He slowly eased his weapon into the side pocket of his linen jacket, wincing as he took it off. That’s what I noticed his light blue shirt was soaked with blood. He’d been shot. Swallowing hard, I fought the increasing nerves as I stared at him, finding it impossible to look away or even blink.

  “What do you want me to do?”

  His smirk was just as reprehensible as the fact he was here, barging in on my place of business where he’d likely start to bleed on my nice clean tile floor at any moment. Damn the man. Damn the fact I hadn’t left earlier.

  “I need you to get this goddamn bullet out of my shoulder.”

  I stared at the monster as if he’d just grown a second head. “I can’t do that.”

  “You’re a damn doctor. You can and you will.”

  He was already sweating, his face covered in a light sheen. “Go to a hospital.”

  “Sweetheart, let’s get something straight. The kind of business I’m in doesn’t lend itself to going to a hospital with a gunshot wound.” His voice was gruff yet stilted, as if he was in significant pain.

  “What kind of work are you in, other than killing people on the street?” I tried to stop my mouth, which tended to get me in trouble more often than not, but it just flowed since being around him.

  There was something decidedly evil about his smirk, but it also added to his sexiness. Okay, what I thinking?

  “I don’t think you really want to ask questions that could get you into more hot water than you’re already in. Now, do you?”

  “Maybe not but I’m no medical doctor. You need to find someone else.”

  “What I need is for you to stop talking, sweetheart, and start digging this out of my muscle.”

  I opened my mouth to retort I wasn’t his sweetheart, and I certainly wasn’t a good girl but managed to stop myself before I jumped into a vat of boiling oil. “I’ll need to get some things from the back room.”

  “Then I’m coming with you. I suggest you don’t do anything stupid.” He moved away from the door, headed in my direction.

  I was still shaking but managed to turn stiffly, moving toward the small operations room I’d set up. I grabbed a sterile pan and some gauze, adhesive tape, rubbing alcohol, and a couple of different scalpels. He hovered in the doorway, his breathing labored from the obvious pain. I used the moment to turn slightly, taking one of the scalpels and sliding it under the sleeve of my sweatshirt.

  As I turned around, the way he was staring at me so intently was more unnerving than before. His eyes darted back and forth before allowing a now very heated gaze to fall to my feet all over again.

  Only this time it felt as if the man was undressing me with his eyes.

  I did what I could to stop shaking, lifting my eyebrow when he remained in the doorway. “You can move now. I’ll take you into one of the examination rooms.”

  His eyes were so piercing, mesmerizing in a way that didn’t make any sense. After a few seconds, he backed away, giving me a single nod. I pointed toward the room on the left and like a trained seal, he walked inside. That allowed me to attack from behind.

  Only as he’d done before, it was as if he’d anticipated my actions, snapping his large hand around my wrist when I had the scalpel in midair.

  He cocked his head, an evil grin sliding across his face. “That wasn’t very nice of you or a good idea, sweetheart.”

  “I’m not your damn sweetheart.” My retort was done without hesitation and I refused to drop the instrument.

  But he twisted my arm just enough so pain slammed into my shoulder, the whimper escaping my mouth unavoidable. So was dropping the instrument.

  “Don’t do that again or I’ll need to punish you.”

  The assassin made the statement as if this was nothing more than a disagreement. I had the pan in my other hand, and I couldn’t seem to stop myself, smashing the stainless steel into his head. I might not be the strongest girl in the world, but it was enough to break contact and he stumbled backward. I didn’t wait to see what happened next, turning and fleeing into the front room, snagging my purse and racing toward the door.

  A loud clang was followed by a series of words spouted off in Greek. I had the door open and was ready to race for my life when he fisted my hair, yanking me with enough force I was pitched backward by several feet. The hard slam of the door was matched by the moment my body hit the receptionist desk with a brutal thud.

  I was dazed but came out swinging, managing to get in a single hard punch under his chin before he pinned me against the desk, his breathing even heavier than before.

  “You are one bad woman. Do you have a death wish?”

  “No,” I retorted. “I just don’t want horrible criminals bleeding all over my nice clean floors.”

  It was his turn to stare at me incredulously before shaking his head. “You should know better than to attack a very bad man.”

  “Yeah? Well, I guess I don’t have anything to lose. Now, do I?”

  I both hated and loved his deep, seductive laugh at the same time. When he spun me around, yanking one arm behind my back and marching me toward the same examination room where the mess had been created, I held my breath, realizing I’d just fucked up royally. For all my bravado hot, heavy tears welled up in my eyes as the fear threatened to become paralyzing.

  I couldn’t allow that to happen, trying desperately to bring the anger from before back to the surface. He was strong, so much so that for all the wiggling I was doing, I wasn’t going anywhere.

  He slammed me over the edge of the table seconds later, immediately wrangling with the elastic on my sweatpants.

  “What are you doing?” Suddenly, the tone of my voice was no longer demanding, sounding more like the frightened little girl that I was. Tears slipped past my lashes, rolling down my face one after another until it was as if a faucet had been turned on.

  “Punishing you, which is exactly what you deserve.” His gruff voice was no longer seductive, merely a reminder that he had full control over me.

  I wanted to fight him with everything I had but the ugliness of a final realization hit me hard. I wasn’t going to win this battle or any if I continued fighting him. Maybe that’s why he was easily able to jerk both the thick sweatpants and my thong down at the same time.

  “Please. I just… I’m sorry.”

  The next sound, other than the intense growl he issued, was easy to decipher. He was unfastening his belt. Really? This was all about spanking me? I had to be dreaming. Or maybe the fear had tossed me into some a surreal state of mind. All I could do was try to keep from hyperventilating as he tugged on the thick leather, fighting to free it from the loops of his trousers.

  When he did, the final yank was done with enough force it was popped against the floor and I jumped, the moan sounding as if I was being pleasured. He wrapped all five fingers on his left hand around my thick ponytail right at the scalp, shifting his hips back and forth.

  Holy fuck. The man was aroused, pressing his thick, throbbing cock against my bottom. What the hell? If the fucker tried to rape me, I was going to cut his dick off and shove it inside his mouth. Nothing would stop me.

  While I was planning his demise, he brought the belt down three times in a row. I was stunned, so much so I couldn’t see clearly. Nothing. Not a light or an image. My breath was stolen, ripped right from my lungs. I’d broken my arm in three places as a child after falling from a tree my mother had told me not to climb. That had hurt but this… this pain was different, so much so my body was shaking.

  But finally, a small part of me became alive again and I let off a powerful scream.

  While he stiffened, I didn’t think he was going to react. Yet he placed the belt beside me and in one easy move with his powerful hand, he slipped a couple of fingers under the elastic of my thong, snapping it free. When I opened my mouth to protest, he shoved the damp material inside.

  Moaning, my eyes were open wide, my pulse electrified, and I was certain I’d die from the terror that continued to grow. So why did I taste my own arousal on my panties?

  “That should keep those lovely lips of yours quiet,” he said, the accent sweeping over me more like a warm blanket than a warning.

  As he snatched the belt from the table beside me, I was thrown into a different place where all time seemed to stand still, every action he took in slow motion. It was odd to suddenly feel like I was having an out of body experience, watching what was progressing from far above. That had happened to me once before when I’d been in a horrific car accident where I thought for certain I was going to die. I’d come through it with a few bruises and nothing more.

  It had been as if luck had been followed me or the hand of God had intervened. I had a terrible feeling no one was going to be watching over me at this moment. Maybe the bone collectors, creatures crawling up from hell to claim their feast for the night, were finally making a move.

  I closed my eyes, fighting the various sensations as he brought the thick strap down countless times. I was aching all over, the anguish sweeping through every muscle but the sickening part about the petrifying moment was that a small part of me, one that I would never claim, was also aroused.

  I could feel dampness between my legs, could gather a tiny whiff of my desire. If I could do so in my state of shock, the reprehensible criminal likely could as well.

  Indeed, he pulled the belt away, taking a deep and exaggerated whiff. I was mortified, heat building across my neck and face from extreme embarrassment. I’d taken enough psychology classes to know that victims of horrible crimes often had unbelievable reactions to their captors and the situation. Everyone was different. But this wasn’t just unexpected.

  It was truly disgusting.

  He mumbled something in Greek, words I couldn’t understand to any degree, but they sounded as if he was stroking my skin in a blaze of passion. I held my breath as additional tears fell, fighting the despondency with everything I had.

  “If I take out the gag, will you promise to keep your mouth shut?” Why was he bothering?

  I nodded rapidly, wondering if he had a guilty conscience all of a sudden. He muttered again but removed the thong, gingerly placing it on the table.

  “Maybe you can be a good girl.” Two more savage strikes were brought down as if testing me. I clamped my mouth shut, fighting all the urges to kick him. Another three smacks of the belt and my mouth was like a volcano. Before I knew what I was doing, I blurted out personal information that I knew I’d regret later.

  “If you’re going to kill me, just do it. Please just get it over with but know I have a mom and dad who love me back home, a baby sister who looks up to me for advice. They will miss me. One day I was hoping to be able to get a son. I mean, a puppy. You know. A little furball to take care of and love. I’ve had to put that dream on hold, but this clinic was one step closer.”

  As if in providing an answer to my nervous blabber, he brushed the tips of his fingers underneath my sweatshirt, caressing as he would a lover. I was just as stunned by these actions as I was by everything else he’d done.

  “Relax, sweetheart. If I’d wanted you dead, you’d already be dead. Just take your punishment like a good little girl.”

  CHAPTER 3

  Jenna

  Escape.

  That’s all that was on my mind. Not saving my life.

  Not the fact he was a killer.

  Just getting away.

  I kicked and squirmed, almost managing to pull away from his hold but he was too fast for me.

  “To hell with you!” My screech was short lived when he slapped his hand over my mouth to keep me quiet.

  Breathe. Relax. Breathe. Relax.

  The rush of adrenaline was finally wearing off, leaving me in a state of horrific terror and nothing else. He slowly lowered his body over mine, his weight nearly crushing me.

  “While I appreciate the fear you have, the concern from what you witnessed, I’m losing patience with you. Here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to accept your punishment like a good girl without trying shit like that again, or the punishment I dole out will be much, much worse. Do I make myself clear?”

  I’ll be damned if his voice wasn’t soothing, giving me a strange sense of being protected instead of threatened. I was driven into a fog, incapable of speaking until he shook me, growling in my ear.

  “Do. I?”

  “Yes,” I barely got out, shaking like a leaf.

  “Good girl. We start over.”

  He continued kneading my skin for a couple of minutes before returning to the spanking, strikes hitting my upper thighs as well as directly across my sit spot. I was worried about how the scrubs would feel on my naked ass instead of whether or not I would get out of here alive.

  It was obvious my priorities weren’t on straight, or I was prepared to believe this brutal assailant that he wasn’t planning on killing me.

  My breathing became more scattered, the pain growing as fast as my arousal as he brought the belt down six additional times. Maybe it was the whooshing sound or the crack of his wrist that really got to me.

  I wasn’t certain how many more he’d issued but all I could do was concentrate on my breathing, the sound the belt made as it sliced across my skin.

  At some point, I was no longer moving at all, accepting this as if it was a normal situation. The only thing I could control was to try to keep from hyperventilating. I needed to remember every detail.

  “That should do it, princess. Now, you’re going to fix me up like I told you to do. I’ll repeat myself, which is something I do not like to do. Don’t try anything again or the next punishment will be something you won’t like. Do you understand me?”

  I was shaking all over, unable to push myself away. “Ye… Yes. Yes. Okay? I’ll help you.”

  The assailant seemed to know I was having difficulty, helping me to a standing position. I took several deep breaths, clenching my eyes shut as he even acted gentlemanly, yanking up my sweatpants. Then I’ll be damned if the bastard didn’t pat my ass like he was telling me I’d been a good little girl.

  He backed away, giving me space, grabbing the things from the floor and placing them on one edge of the table. While I eyed the other scalpel, I decided I’d prefer to try to live, and the only way of doing that was to dig the bullet out. Well, maybe I could exact a little revenge while doing so and twist the sharp blade inside his shoulder.

  I heard a rustling sound, which forced me to turn around. He was painfully removing his shirt, wincing as he pulled it over his head.

  That’s the moment that all time really seemed to stop as his bare chest came into view. I’d seen gorgeous men at the gym before, men who spent time honing their muscles. I’d also seen one too many who’d been so bulked up they looked like a comic book hero, but this man was a perfect in between. Every muscle in his chest and arms was sculpted to perfection, as if the Greek god I’d thought about had offered him the finest granite to build his body’s infrastructure.

  In addition, his chest and upper arms were covered in the most colorful tattoos I’d ever seen, beautiful artwork that must have taken days or weeks to complete. I allowed my gaze to roam, to bask in his utter beauty until the bastard seemed to notice.

  He chuckled and flexed his muscles on purpose but that started the blood flowing in earnest from the bullet wound.

  “Stop that unless you want to bleed out in my clinic and I won’t take very kindly to that. Now, sit on the table. Do you want me to give you a painkiller or shoot you up with drugs to put you to sleep?” Sure, I was being crude, but I had a feeling what his answer would be.

  “That won’t be necessary, sweetheart. I’ve been through a lot worse. Just get on with it. Although you wouldn’t happen to have any liquor in this place. Would you?”

  “What does this look like, a bar?” A small level of defiance had returned and I bit my tongue because of it as I walked toward the sink. I was tempted not to wash my hands but even after what had occurred, I couldn’t live with myself if he developed sepsis. God. I was exhausted and nuts.

  He chuckled all over again as I grabbed some paper towels. “What’s your name?”

  “Do you want my address and social security number too so you can keep tabs on me? Maybe come to my house late one night and finish the job, eliminating a witness?” Great. Let’s just push every button and see what happens.