Marco freezes. He looks up at the man walking toward him.
Barron Cooke does not walk; he stalks. His black trench coat flares around his legs. Behind him, two massive men in dark suits step into the corridor, blocking the exit.
Marco releases Adaline's arm and takes a step back, his hands raised in surrender. "Hey, man, I was just trying to move her..."
Barron does not even look at the bartender. He doesn't need to. He gives a microscopic nod to his security detail.
In less than a second, one of the bodyguards lunges forward, executing a flawless, professional submission hold. He twists Marco's arm sharply behind his back and forcefully pins him face-first against the rough brick wall. Marco gasps in pain, completely immobilized.
Barron drops to one knee beside Adaline.
The lethal anger in his eyes vanishes the moment he sees her face.
Adaline is gasping for breath, her chest rising and falling erratically. Her face is flushed with an unnatural heat, her skin burning to the touch. She is trembling violently from the narcotic.
Barron's heart contracts painfully in his chest.
He immediately shrugs off his heavy black trench coat. He wraps the thick, warm wool tightly around Adaline's shivering body, completely covering her revealing silk dress.
He slides one arm under her knees and the other behind her back. With effortless strength, he lifts her off the floor, cradling her against his chest.
He stands up. He looks at Evelyn, who has just entered the corridor.
"Shut this place down," Barron orders. His voice is ice. "Buy the building if you have to. No one leaves until we find out what she drank."
He turns and carries Adaline out of the pub.
The cold London rain hits them immediately. Adaline whimpers at the shock of the cold. Instinctively, she turns her face inward, burying her nose into the lapel of Barron's suit jacket, seeking his body heat.
Barron's breath catches. He tightens his grip on her and strides to the waiting Rolls-Royce.
The driver holds the rear door open. Barron slides into the spacious back seat, keeping Adaline securely in his lap.
"The nearest private hospital," Barron commands the driver. "Now."
The heavy door shuts, sealing them inside the soundproof, dimly lit cabin.
Adaline's brain is completely misfiring. The potent designer narcotic mixed into the cocktail is flooding her system, heavily distorting her senses. Combined with the alcohol, she is entirely delirious.
Her panicked mind is losing the battle against the chemical. The extreme heat, the racing heart, and the hypersensitivity of her skin are undeniable effects of the powerful aphrodisiac-laced drug Chet had intended for her.
She squirms in Barron's lap. The thick wool coat feels too hot.
"So hot..." Adaline whimpers. She tries to push the coat off her shoulders.
Barron immediately catches her wrists in one large hand. His grip is firm but incredibly gentle.
"Stop moving, Adaline," Barron says, his deep voice rumbling in his chest. "We are almost at the hospital."
Adaline blinks. Her vision is blurry, but through the dim streetlights passing by the window, she focuses on the sharp, masculine line of his jaw.
She does not recognize him. In her mind, Barron Cooke is a thirty-three-year-old fossil. The man holding her has a chest as hard as marble and a jawline that could cut glass.
Her drug-addled brain decides this handsome stranger is her only salvation from the burning heat inside her.
Adaline twists her hands, breaking his gentle grip. She reaches up and presses her hot palms flat against Barron's chest.
Barron's entire body goes rigid. His muscles lock like steel.
"Don't take me to the hospital," Adaline begs, her voice a breathless, raspy whisper. She arches her back, pressing her body closer to his. "Please. Help me."
Barron frowns deeply. He thinks she is terrified of needles or doctors. "You have been given a high-grade narcotic. We need to get you an IV to flush it out of your system."
"I don't need a doctor!" Adaline cries out, frustrated by the burning heat inside her. She slides her hands up his chest and wraps her arms around his neck. She pulls herself up so her face is inches from his. "I was drugged. Please... just help me."
Barron's breath hitches. The scent of her-sweet vanilla mixed with tequila and rain-floods his senses. She is practically straddling him in the back of the car.
"Adaline," Barron growls. The sound is dark, laced with heavy, suppressed desire. He grabs her waist with both hands, trying to push her back against the leather seat.
But he is terrified of hurting her fragile, hive-covered skin. His hesitation gives her an opening.
Adaline drops her head. Her hot, feverish cheek rubs against the sensitive skin of his neck. Her fingers fumble with the knot of his silk tie.
Barron's Adam's apple bobs sharply. The air in the car becomes dangerously thin. He grabs her wandering hands and pins them gently against his chest.
"Look at me," Barron commands, his voice harsh with the effort of holding himself back. He forces her to meet his eyes. "Do you know who I am?"
Adaline blinks slowly. A loopy, delirious smile spreads across her swollen lips.
"I don't care," she giggles softly. "You're so handsome... way hotter than that thirty-three-year-old fossil Barron Cooke..."
Barron freezes.
The words hit him like a bucket of ice water.
Old fossil.
For a split second, pure shock registers in his dark eyes. Then, the pieces fall into place. Her bizarre texts. Her aggressive rejection. Her constant references to his 'health'.
She thinks he is an old man.
A dark, dangerous amusement flares in Barron's chest.
Before he can process the revelation, Adaline leans forward. Her soft, burning lips brush clumsily against the corner of his mouth.
The fragile string of Barron's self-control snaps.
He lets out a harsh breath. His arms wrap around her waist like iron bands, pulling her flush against his body, trapping her completely so she cannot move another inch.
He buries his face in her hair, his chest heaving as he fights the primal urge to take what she is offering.
"Adaline," he whispers against her ear, his voice ragged and lethal. "When you wake up, you are going to pay for this."
The Rolls-Royce slams on the brakes, throwing them slightly forward. They have arrived at the emergency bay.
The sudden stop jolts Adaline. Her eyes roll back in her head, and she goes completely limp, passing out cold against Barron's chest.
