Page 44 of The Torturer's Target

Tesiera nodded and took a step toward the beach house, when her head spun. The world around her seemed to sway, knocking her off balance. She braced herself for the inevitable fall, steeling herself for the impact that was sure to come.

But just as she was about to hit the ground, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close.

Her heart raced as she found herself pressed against the firm, rippled muscles of Max. She could feel the heat radiating off his body, warming her skin and sending shivers down her spine.

“It’s the blood loss. Are you alright?”

His deep voice sounded distant. As she looked up into his eyes, she saw a tenderness there that she had never allowed herself to notice before. His gaze was intense.

For a moment, she laid cushioned in his arm, lost in his gray eyes, and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Another wave of dizziness hit her.

Tesiera decided that she would kill herself if she did something as embarrassing and mortifying as faint in his presence…in his arms.

But then she fainted anyway.

CHAPTER 19. THE STUBBORN TORTURER.

A faint smile played at the corners of Max's lips as he watched Tesiera lose consciousness in his arms. The look of utter horror that had crossed her face just before she fainted had not escaped his notice, and he was aware that he was the cause of it.

Noticing Max's predicament, the driver quickly approached to assist. “Here, take Hazel,” Max instructed, his tone commanding yet gentle as he passed the sleeping child to him. “Put her in the master bedroom.”

“Yes, sir,” the driver responded, carefully holding Hazel in his arms before disappearing into the beach house with her.

Max remained still for a moment, holding Tesiera in his arms, as he watched the driver disappear into the house with Hazel. Then, with a slight adjustment, he securely lifted Tesiera and followed the driver inside.

As he carried her, Max found his gaze lingering on her face. Despite the cuts and bruises marring her features, she looked incredibly beautiful. In her unconscious state, the usual tension that defined her had melted away, and she looked unexpectedly vulnerable in his arms. He could feel the warmth and softness of her body pressed against his chest.

She feels good in my arms, he thought against his better judgment.

Memories of the way she had fought relentlessly earlier in the day flooded his mind and how she had thrown herself in front of a bullet to save him. At that moment, the little misgivings he’d had about hiring her died. She had looked him in the eyes and told him that she would protect him with her life, and now he knew that she had meant it.

He walked into his bedroom and went through to the adjoining bedroom, laying her down on the bed. Her head lolled to the side, and he couldn’t help but drink in the sight of her elegant neck. As he looked at her, he felt a strange pull in his chest, an attraction that he knew he shouldn’t be feeling.

This is a very bad idea.

A bone-chilling scream pierced the air, jolting Max into action. It was Hazel. He raced to his room, where he found the child thrashing in her sleep.

“Sir,” the older driver said helplessly.

“Don’t worry, Fredrick. I'll handle this,” Max reassured him, moving closer to Hazel. As he approached, Fredrick stepped away from the bed, making room for Max. “Please, go to the car and bring me the treatment bag.”

“Right away, sir.” The driver hurried out of the room.

Max gently tried to soothe Hazel, but the little girl continued to cry and thrash about. He attempted to wake her, all the while waiting for the driver to return with the necessary supplies.

Tesiera jolted awake to the sound of a child’s screams, her head pounding as she tried to piece together how she ended up in a soft bed. Hell, she had fainted.

Slowly rising from the bed, she suppressed the mortification and groaned while palming her aching head. She strained to hear his voice in the other room, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying.

Tesiera made her way to the adjoining bathroom, leaving a trail of her bloodied clothes behind. She turned on the shower, and as the water cascaded over her, she winced sharply. The stream hit her injured left shoulder blade, where a bullet fragment was still lodged, sending waves of pain through her.

Facing the mirror, she scrutinized the wound, taking a deep breath before tentatively probing it. Gritting her teeth, she endured the excruciating pain without a scream. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead as she struggled to remove the fragment. The task was made all the more difficult due to the awkward angle of her arm and the depth of the wound.

A soft knock on the bathroom door interrupted her thoughts, and she froze, her eyes trained on the closed door.

"I see you're awake," came the deep, calm voice from the other side. "I advise you to stop poking around that wound. You’re only causing yourself more pain."

Tesiera, fighting back the pain, responded with a firm, steady voice, "I'm good, sir."

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