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David felt nothing at the id cal to take his life with his bare hands and make sure--without any doubt--that he could never hurt another woround with a metallic clatter and spread his hands wide "Here I ao, and I'm yours"

David could feel Caleb tense behind hi for David not to know that Caleb was thinking he was being a co hirin lit the antuan friend there to back off," ordered the blond man

"Get out, Caleb I can handle this"

Caleb took a step and David could now see him out of the corner of his eye "Don't be an idiot, Wolfe He's gonna--"

David didn't let Caleb finish "I said get out! That's an order, Lieutenant"

"Not without the girl, Captain," said Caleb

David forced out a frustrated sigh though he still felt nothing but the incessant prowling of theneed to kill

"Fine" He walked right over to Noelle, un et her away He shoved her wheeled chair toward Caleb, trusting hiot out, David truly didn't care what happened to him

Now that David ithin easy reach, the scarred rabbed him around the throat with one arainst the side of David's face

David forced hirabbed Noelle, chair and all, and picked her up as if she was no heavier than a sack of groceries

The chair dripped red, which David could now see was more water than blood Noelle had been hurt, but not as badly as he'd suspected He wanted to feel relief, but couldn't If he let go even thatfor release would burn him alive

Once Noelle was safely on her way out of the building, David deliberately let his ht and took over David's body, giving him nearly inhuman speed

With one flash of David's elbow, the scarredacross the room It was only a matter of seconds before David had the man pinned on the concrete floor, with his hands around theNo sense of victory, no joy Nothing

When David could no longer feel the beat of the scarred o Just to be sure the ain, David retrieved his weapon and put two bullets through the man's head

Only then did he turn to walk away

Caleb hadn't left as he'd been ordered He was standing guard over Noelle, using his body to shield hers, and his weapon was aimed at the dead man He'd stayed in case David had needed backup

Noelle's head hung lih to see hi at theShe'd seen him kill with his bare hands

Noelle hated violence, and after what she'd just witnessed, David was sure that she would have no choice but to hate him as well

Fury rose up in him, but he stomped it down He had to keep hold of his eet her out of here safely

David crossed the roo weaker by the second He could Uee her strength draining from her with every shiver of her sli Not yet Not until Noelle was safe and warht him no joy No satisfaction

He reached out for her and she flinched away fro David had feared She'd seen hi so, he'd lost her forever

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Noelle felt warmth close around her body She couldn't open her eyes, but she heard familiar voices in little snips of conversation She could s his own body

" she's freezingget her warm frostbite "

"He's dead" That voice was David's, though it didn't sound right It sounded flat and cold

" injuries aren't severeworried about hypotherth to speak "I'm sorry," she whispered "I tried not to teli them the coordinates I tried "

"Hush, now," said David He was close to her, speaking right next to her ear His voice was still odd, but she didn't care It was David He was safe "You didn't do anything wrong"

The war returned to her toes Noelle stopped fighting sleep

She woke later in a bed There were hands all around her, a plastichurt and she could feel needles poking her skin all over

"Give her so for the pain," deet her eyes open to see hiure out how to move the le, then whatever they'd given her for pain started working, and she went back to sleep

The next time she woke it was dark She was thirsty and her throat burned There were faint noises around her ofin hushed whispers "David?" she croaked

The whispers stopped and she felt a warrasp hers He was here She was safe

David refused to leave Noelle's side for two days He was tired and hungry and ached fro hi that as soon as she woke up, she'd look at him with revulsion

Caleb stepped into the hospital roo the doorway There were no s to the outside, for security reasons, and the only light in the roo thein the interior wall that overlooked the nurses' station

Caleb approached on silent feet, his black eyes taking in Noelle's condition in one thorough, sweeping glance

"She's better today," he stated as he stepped up to the bed, across from David