Page 63 of When He Plays

Real fear blasted through him. This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t too much to drink. He lifted her right hand, let it go, and the hand immediately fell onto her lap. “She was drugged.”

“Uh, maybe she’s on drugs,” Ares allowed, “but that would be her habit, her business, and not⁠—”

“You’re a dead man.” Brutal. But his hand was gentle as it curled under Charlotte’s chin. He tilted her head back. “Sweetheart? Baby? Look at me.”

Her lashes fluttered. Her bleary gaze tried and failed to focus on him.

“I’ve got you,” he promised her. He wanted to destroy. To rip Ares apart, but he also wanted to get Charlotte the hell out of there. His hand slid down so that his fingers could press against her throat. Her pulse was low. Thready. Fuck. “Get an ambulance, now.”

“What?’ Ares bounded even closer toward him. “No, no, this is outrageous! She’s just drunk. We have a game to finish! She’s⁠—”

He let go of Charlotte for a moment. Long enough to grab Ares, to lock a vicious hand around the man’s throat, and to slam him down onto the table.

Gasps echoed around him. Logan ignored those shocked sounds. “You drugged her.”

“No.” Ares kicked out at him.

Logan dodged the kick. He locked both of his hands around his prey’s throat. Logan started to squeeze. “You drugged her.”

“He didn’t!” Evelyn’s desperate cry. “I took champagne to her. I had the bottle opened right in front of her! Then I locked her in the study. No one else got in. I still have the key in my pocket. I-I don’t know how she got out!”

Logan glared down at Ares. The bastard’s face had begun to purple.

“Logan.” Carmichael’s low voice. “Let him go. Take care of your lady.”

Logan yanked his hands away from Ares. He bounded back to the chair and immediately scooped Charlotte into his arms. Her body was too limp. The terror inside of him flared higher. Clawed harder on his guts. “You’re dead,” Logan said to Ares again.

“I didn’t do anything to her!” Ares yelled. One hand was at his throat.

“I’m calling the cops. I’m ruining your whole world.” Logan strode for the door. The guards were in his way. “Move,” he thundered.

They moved. Moments later, he was at the elevator. Then in the elevator.

“Logan! Logan, you can’t inform the authorities!” That was Pierre, chasing after him. “You know they can’t know about our games!” He put his hand up to stop the elevator doors from closing.

“Move the hand or I break it.”

Pierre moved the hand.

The doors closed.

He was alone in the elevator with Charlotte. Yes, yes, he knew the camera in the corner was recording his every move. He just didn’t give a damn. All of his focus was on her. “Charlotte? Baby?” Had his voice just broken?

She sagged in his arms.

He heaved her up, pulling her closer. “I’m getting you out of here,” he promised her, voice low and grim as rage and fear consumed him from the inside, out. “I’m taking you to a hospital, and you are going to be fine.” There was no alternative. She would be fine. He’d get her fixed. Whatever was wrong, whatever was happening…it could be fixed. Couldn’t it?

He held her tighter. Breathed in her scent. Passion and Candy. The body lotion that she’d said was really raspberries and vanilla sugar. To him, that was just her scent. Something about that precious scent made his rage and fear swell higher.

Once she was safe, once he’d gotten her the care she needed…

He was going to absolutely destroy Ares.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I have you.” I won’t let you go.

The doors opened. He surged forward.

The two dumbass guards from earlier were still on the first floor. The idiot with the beard opened his mouth⁠—