As it turned out, HadesSinclair lived in the very affluent neighborhood of Westwood.The elevator in his high rise was operated by a keypad code and when he entered it, they shot straight to the top.One of the first things she saw when she stepped inside was a wall of glass that put the glittering city on display.A large living and dining area.The den had a wet bar, but she could not see him entertaining guests as he mixed drinks.She didn’t know him, but she got the impression he didn’t do friends.Everything was grand and opulent, from the elegant kitchen to the spacious outdoor patio.She’d never seen anything like it and felt she dirtied it just by stepping her foot through the door.She stood in the foyer and she stared in wide-eyed shock at the expensive sophistication.
“Make yourself at home,” he said, gesturing to the oversized couch.
“My home was never like this,” she muttered under her breath and carefully sat on the edge.The cushions looked so comfy she might sink in them and never be found again.
“Dr.Michaels should be here momentarily,” he continued.He went to the bar and poured himself a tumbler of dark liquor.“Tell me a little about yourself, Cora.”
“Um, why?”
She could tell she surprised him again.
“Humor me.”
“Okay.Well, I work in the mail room at the LC Group.I live in a tenant boarding house.I don’t drive.And I hang out at the library a lot.”
He blinked, then frowned.“That’s awfully succinct, and I think I already knew two of them.Boyfriends?Hobbies?”
“No boyfriends.My hobby is reading.”
“That can’t be all.”
“I’m surprisingly very uninteresting.”
He downed his drink and replaced the glass on the bar with a sharp click.Then he walked over to her and placed a finger under her chin to lift her face up, snaring her in the dark depths of his eyes.
“You are anything but uninteresting.”
She raised an eyebrow.“Even I heard the disbelief in your voice.”
The phone in his pocket rang and he pulled it out, glancing at it before hitting a button.“The doctor is here.”
The door opened, and a tall, very distinguished gentleman with grey hair and kind eyes walked through.
“Good evening, Mr.Sinclair.”He gave her a comforting smile.“Hello, I’m Dr.Michaels.”
“Hi,” she greeted.“I’m Cora.”
“Cora was attacked by a coworker,” Hades reported, folding his arms across his chest.“The dickhead had his hand over her nose and mouth.”
The nice doctor did his due diligence, listening to her heart and lungs, checking her eyes, and palpating around her neck.When he was done, he stood.
“There’s a little bruising around the underside of her jaw,” he reported to Hades.“Nothing that won’t heal.She can take ibuprofen if it starts bothering her.That will help reduce any inflammation.”
“Thank you, Dr.Michaels,” she said, holding out her hand.
He shook it and smiled.“Have Mr.Sinclair call if you have any symptoms like headaches or blurred vision.”
She nodded, even though she would absolutely not be calling Mr.Hades Sinclair in the future.Now that she told him everything she knew, there would be no reason for them to ever speak to each other again.
Once Dr.Michaels left, she rose and walked to the door.
“Thank you, Mr.Sinclair, for rescuing me.Should I wait here or in the lobby for your driver?”
He stared at her unblinking, and she was unable to read anything in his onyx eyes.The image of a cobra, ready to strike, flashed through her head.
“Are you hungry?”
She blinked, confused.What?“Um.I’ll eat when I get home.”
