nurse to put the I.V. back — “
Desperate to escape Devlyn, Bella ran out of the room. She dashed for the nearest exit sign down the long corridor.
“Miss!” Thompson shouted after her.
She slammed into the fire stairs door, glancing back to see Devlyn at the nurses’ station and Thompson tearing out of the room.
Thompson looked back at Devlyn, evidently to see what caught her eye. Both men stared at each other for a moment. She didn’t wait to see what happened next.
After charging down two flights of stairs, she bolted onto the first floor. One man’s boots tromped down the stairwell in hasty pursuit of her. She dove undetected into a hospital room. Thank God an elderly patient snored in his sleep in one of the beds. Heart pounding, she slid under the unoccupied bed.
The door to the room opened. She scarcely breathed. Boots stood in the doorway but then moved away and the door closed.
Hurrying out from underneath the bed, she searched through the man’s wall closet.
After tossing the hospital gown, she slipped on his large button-down, collared shirt that reached mid-thigh. She pulled a bulky sweater over this. His baggy trousers and canoe-sized shoes were way too big. Grabbing his corduroy jacket, she shoved her arms into the sleeves. Barefooted and barelegged, she ran to the door and peeked out.
The hallway remained empty, but Thompson, the police, and Devlyn had to be nearby. She leaned against the doorframe, dizzy — not yet herself. Her head fuzzed and her heart beat way out of control.
When her head cleared, she dashed for the front door that she envisioned lay beyond the bend in the hall, centered in the middle of the building.
Devlyn suddenly walked out of a room down the hall and into her path, his back to her. Her breath caught in her throat. Bolting, she tried to dash past him, but he jumped to block her. She slammed against his body instead, and he wrapped his arms around her in a secure vice.
Panic filled her. His touch forced her to want more from him — a searing embrace, another kiss, full of passion. Madness. He’d turn her over to the pack leader, damn him.
Devlyn pulled her into the room. To her horror, Thompson and the two cops lay still as death on the floor, forcing a gasp from her lips. “What — “
His eyes burning with anger, he held a finger to her lips. Then he took her hand and whispered harshly, “We’re leaving through the front door, quietly.” When she tried to jerk free, he gripped her hand tighter. “Quietly, damn it, Bella. Behave for once.”
Straightening her shoulders, she narrowed her eyes. She’d slipped away from the pack before. She could do it again. And, for now, Devlyn seemed her only chance to flee the hospital. Yet, God, how she hungered for more than his hand gripping hers. It was mating season, she reminded herself, nothing more, and she would lust after any male that... hell, who was she trying to kid? The way he looked at her bare legs, even while they stood in imminent danger of being discovered, the way he touched her — he craved her as much as she did him.
He walked her back into the hall toward the center of the building, his stride long and indomitable, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. His touch should have warmed her... well, hell, it did. But for all of the wrong reasons. She craved more of his touch, at the same time resenting the implication. He was her captor, her new zookeeper; her blood sizzled.
When they walked past the nurses’ station, a woman wearing polka-dot scrubs spoke on the phone, her eyes wide. “The patient is missing?”
His jaw tight, Devlyn hurried Bella toward the door past the station.
The woman said, “Wait! Sir! Miss!”
He hit the door with his shoulder and yanked Bella outside into the crisp, cold air. Grabbing her up in his arms, he ran for the black SUV parked curbside.
Gray-haired Argos tugged the door open.
“Argos,” she said under her breath, the pleasure at seeing him
Desperate to escape Devlyn, Bella ran out of the room. She dashed for the nearest exit sign down the long corridor.
“Miss!” Thompson shouted after her.
She slammed into the fire stairs door, glancing back to see Devlyn at the nurses’ station and Thompson tearing out of the room.
Thompson looked back at Devlyn, evidently to see what caught her eye. Both men stared at each other for a moment. She didn’t wait to see what happened next.
After charging down two flights of stairs, she bolted onto the first floor. One man’s boots tromped down the stairwell in hasty pursuit of her. She dove undetected into a hospital room. Thank God an elderly patient snored in his sleep in one of the beds. Heart pounding, she slid under the unoccupied bed.
The door to the room opened. She scarcely breathed. Boots stood in the doorway but then moved away and the door closed.
Hurrying out from underneath the bed, she searched through the man’s wall closet.
After tossing the hospital gown, she slipped on his large button-down, collared shirt that reached mid-thigh. She pulled a bulky sweater over this. His baggy trousers and canoe-sized shoes were way too big. Grabbing his corduroy jacket, she shoved her arms into the sleeves. Barefooted and barelegged, she ran to the door and peeked out.
The hallway remained empty, but Thompson, the police, and Devlyn had to be nearby. She leaned against the doorframe, dizzy — not yet herself. Her head fuzzed and her heart beat way out of control.
When her head cleared, she dashed for the front door that she envisioned lay beyond the bend in the hall, centered in the middle of the building.
Devlyn suddenly walked out of a room down the hall and into her path, his back to her. Her breath caught in her throat. Bolting, she tried to dash past him, but he jumped to block her. She slammed against his body instead, and he wrapped his arms around her in a secure vice.
Panic filled her. His touch forced her to want more from him — a searing embrace, another kiss, full of passion. Madness. He’d turn her over to the pack leader, damn him.
Devlyn pulled her into the room. To her horror, Thompson and the two cops lay still as death on the floor, forcing a gasp from her lips. “What — “
His eyes burning with anger, he held a finger to her lips. Then he took her hand and whispered harshly, “We’re leaving through the front door, quietly.” When she tried to jerk free, he gripped her hand tighter. “Quietly, damn it, Bella. Behave for once.”
Straightening her shoulders, she narrowed her eyes. She’d slipped away from the pack before. She could do it again. And, for now, Devlyn seemed her only chance to flee the hospital. Yet, God, how she hungered for more than his hand gripping hers. It was mating season, she reminded herself, nothing more, and she would lust after any male that... hell, who was she trying to kid? The way he looked at her bare legs, even while they stood in imminent danger of being discovered, the way he touched her — he craved her as much as she did him.
He walked her back into the hall toward the center of the building, his stride long and indomitable, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. His touch should have warmed her... well, hell, it did. But for all of the wrong reasons. She craved more of his touch, at the same time resenting the implication. He was her captor, her new zookeeper; her blood sizzled.
When they walked past the nurses’ station, a woman wearing polka-dot scrubs spoke on the phone, her eyes wide. “The patient is missing?”
His jaw tight, Devlyn hurried Bella toward the door past the station.
The woman said, “Wait! Sir! Miss!”
He hit the door with his shoulder and yanked Bella outside into the crisp, cold air. Grabbing her up in his arms, he ran for the black SUV parked curbside.
Gray-haired Argos tugged the door open.
“Argos,” she said under her breath, the pleasure at seeing him
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