Boss strode into that hospital, and every last female just stared. He glanced at them oddly, then chose to ignore them, having no idea how much of a difference that fitted suit made, and it didn't help that it seemed tailored to fit him.

It was almost impossible to ignore the dashing, debonair, and breathtakingly sexy picture it painted. If he were in the mood for one of his rare smiles, someone would lose their dignity and cast themselves at his feet.

To him, it was a suit like any other. The slicked-back darkness of his hair, still damp from his shower, and his tan contrasted nicely with the blinding white of the shirt. The fancy dress shoes, shiny with newness, and the outfit lent him an air of sophistication far removed from his usual touch of bad-boy carelessness, but none of it occurred to him, and Gillian smirked. He wasn't just wearing those clothes; he owned them. She fought down the surge of heat swirling through her lower midsection.

And those damned three loose buttons on his shirt, giving everyone a peek at his sculpted chest. The humidity got to him in the parking lot and the stress of their situation. He always loosened those buttons and rolled up his sleeves when they worked at the office, but this time it looked scandalously sexy.

If she wasn't who she was, she would find it challenging to retain the wherewithal to pretend she wasn't affected and glancing at Elissa and Colt, she wasn't the only one. A low hiss died unuttered in her throat. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that they would soon wrap up this case and leave.

Her sister's gaze caught in hers, and the slight wrinkling of her forehead and the worry in her eyes betrayed that Gillian had not succeeded in hiding her attraction to the human male well enough.

***

Detective Boss walked up to the front desk and asked for Dana, and jarringly, it took the nurse three tries to find her tongue, and she still tripped over her words. Gillian clamped down on the possessives of her vampire as if it were an enemy to be fought.

She should be used to handsome men, but something about the red-blooded human male flustered her, and she hated it when the nurse licked her lips as she watched him stalk off, following her directions. Gillian pursed her lips in response and followed him.

Damn Adeline, damn him, damn it all... It took a moment to regain control of herself.

Why now? She had no idea, but it was inconvenient; she shook her head and hastened her pace.

***

Boss stalked into the large private room and stopped dead in his tracks. Whoever applied the bandages and dressings did it for maximum effect, Gillian noticed with a slightly raised brow.

That stark white bed dwarfed Dana as she lay on top of the covers, dressed in pink girly pajamas decorated with teddy bears that made her look young and defenseless.

Her skin retained that sheen of translucence, but the empty space below her wrist and knee riveted his attention more than the shadows beneath her eyes. The pajamas discreetly hid everything else.

He didn't even notice when Dana woke up as his face hardened, his shoulders tensed, and his jaw squared. The veins in his neck bulged, his hands fisted, and his fury became a living presence.

Dana's gaze on him finally registered, and with a mammoth effort, he pulled himself together, walked over to her bed, pulled out the wooden bench, and seated himself. He took her right hand and held it as he caught her gaze. What Gillian tried to convey had finally registered, and she appreciated his change of approach.

"I am very sorry this happened to you."

His words were sincere enough to bring a sheen of wetness to all of their eyes.

"I am even more sorry that this cannot wait," Boss glanced at her other arm. The white bandage hid the raw stump of her wrist, and his jaw tightened again.

"What do you remember?" he asked, and nothing remained of the cocky doctor in the woman before them when she started to speak.

"We walked into the parking lot because Donald left the kit bag in the van. We were talking about a show we wanted to see, and Louise opened the van door..." Dana's jaw clenched as she struggled to force the words past her lips.

"He jumped out of the van, hit her across the face, and she just collapsed. Before I could move, he rammed a needle into my arm. I woke tied up on the floor in a room with tiles everywhere. He had set up a whole operating table, and she was bound to it."

Tears leaked from her eyes, and it took a long time for her to speak again

"He wore some kind of plastic suit, and it covered his whole body, feet, hands, and head. All that remained visible was his face. He had a surgical mask over his mouth and chin, and a pair of dark glasses covered his eyes. It wasn't to hide his identity as much as to ensure he left no evidence behind.

"He instructed me to cut her, and I refused. She was petrified and cried out even though he had gagged her. He grabbed my hand... and he... cut off the tip of my little finger with a pair of pliers." She shuddered at the memory, her eyes blazing, and Gillian pitied her for having to relive this in such detail.

"I still refused, and he kept cutting until he finally realized I would not cave, so he took my... hand," the words came with great effort, and tears ran unhindered down Dana's cheeks. Her eyes were wild, her breathing shallow, and she shook like a leaf.

"I hate putting you through this, but there is no other way," Boss said gently.

"I want him to f*#cking die for what he did," Dana bit out, and he stared at her. Taken aback by her vehemence but not entirely surprised.

The rest of this book is on InkItt on my subscription channel - First Drafts - https://www.inkitt.com/stories/thriller/871380

Thank you for reading.