‘Who the hell are you? What are you doing? Let go, mm—’

Callie’s protest was silenced by the man’s rough hand clamped over her mouth.

Who would’ve thought that after finishing her night shift and returning home, she’d get ambushed right at her doorstep!

No black belt in self-defence here, but if this guy thought she’d be easy prey, he was dead wrong!

Callie swallowed hard and chomped down on the man’s palm, hoping to inflict some serious pain.

To her surprise, the man didn’t even flinch, not even a tiny groan.

Instead, he tightened his grip.

What was wrong with this guy?

Maybe her bite wasn’t quite ‘chompy’ enough?

Just as Callie geared up for another bite, she heard approaching footsteps and men’s voices.

More accomplices?

Since when did muggers operate in groups?

A man’s slightly nasal voice said, ‘I just got word from HQ. He killed Viper! This time, we can’t let him slip away.’

‘Don’t worry! He’s wounded, ain’t going far.’

‘But if he does escape, we’re screwed!’

…

Callie’s heart pounded so loudly in her chest, she was surprised the men didn’t hear it.

Wait, could the ‘he’ they were talking about be the jerk holding her hostage right now?

Unbelievable! Not only was he injured, but he was also on the run for murder—wait!

So this wasn’t a mugging?

But that didn’t make Callie feel any better.

If anything, it was worse.

This guy might just kill her to cover his tracks!

Just as Callie was panicking, the man leaned close to her ear.

His voice was hushed and ice cold, devoid of emotion. ‘Play along. Or both of us die here tonight.’

Play along? With what?

The man didn’t give Callie time to react.

The moment he finished speaking, he spun Callie around to face him, his hands firmly pressing her against the wall.

Callie was trapped between his warm chest and the cold concrete surface, with no wiggle room.

And then he forcefully claimed her lips, swallowing her objections.

What in the world was happening?

Callie’s eyes widened in disbelief, and she wanted to resist, but the man had arms like steel cables, bulging with strength.

Plus, the conversation she’d overheard and the man’s not-so-thinly-veiled threat gave her pause.

Perhaps it was best to play along, for now.

Reluctantly, Callie placed her hands on the man’s back, seizing the opportunity to give him a hard pinch.

Apart from the scowl on her face, the scene between them almost looked like some kind of wild, hungry lovers going at it in the dead of night.

‘Jesus, please, make time fly!’ Callie prayed silently.

As the footsteps drew near, her heart jumped from her chest into her throat.

Suddenly, she felt the man’s strong hands move to her back and ripped her blouse apart with one swift move.

‘Bastard!’ Callie pounded his back, eyes blazing with anger.

Exposed to the chilly night air, she felt goosebumps crawling up her skin.

The man didn’t make a sound, his lips still glued to hers.

Ignoring her frustration, he just kept going, making the fake make-out scene even more intense.

Their bodies were bathed in moonlight, creating a passionate tableau.

The man cupped Callie’s face with both hands and pushed her deeper into the shadow cast by the wall.

‘What’s going on over there?’

‘Can’t you tell? They’re getting frisky!’

‘Still staring? Stop it! This is no time to get horny.’

‘I just want to see who’s the lucky guy. Damn, that’s some slick move! Gotta try it sometime!’

‘Don’t disturb them. We’ll be in deep shit if the lovebirds call the cops.’

Gradually, the footsteps faded away.

With the coast clear, Callie gave the man a hard shove.

She wasn’t surprised to see the dark liquid seeping from the midsection of his shirt; she had detected the familiar copper smell of blood the moment the man came close.

Callie gently brushed her lips, their swollenness testament to the intense encounter with the stranger.

She wiped them with the back of her hand, her eyes narrowing as she finally got a good look at him.

His hair tousled by the wind, his eyes holding a glimmer of wariness, the man exuded an air of danger and aloofness that sent shivers down her spine.

And yet, there was something mesmerising about those cold, piercing eyes.

Callie had never come across such a captivatingly dangerous man before.

Even the air around him seemed degrees colder.

Elias Westwood was sizing her up just as she was him.

Callie noticed a subtle change in his expression as his gaze lingered on her.

It was a mix of surprise and something else she couldn’t quite place.

Elias hadn’t expected to cross paths with her here, in this moment.

It seemed that she didn’t recognise him at all.

As guilty as he felt for forcing a kiss upon a stranger, as a way to throw off his pursuers, he couldn’t deny the jolt of joy when he realised it was her.

At the same time, he was concerned.

The men after him wouldn’t think twice about eliminating witnesses, even if they were innocent civilians.

Elias blinked and was about to speak, but dark spots started swimming in front of his eyes.

Wounded, bleeding and hunted, he had been running on fumes, powered by nothing but survival instinct and adrenaline.

But now that the immediate danger had passed, he couldn’t hold on any longer.

His consciousness slipped away, and he collapsed.

‘Hey!’ Callie gave a yelp of alarm.

Her knees buckled with the stranger’s 6 feet 3 inches frame weighing down on her, making it hard to breathe.

Callie let out an expletive.

Not only had the bastard kissed her, but he had also torn her clothes apart.

Now he conveniently passed out without even an apology.

The thought of it made anger well up within her, tempting her to abandon him right then and there.

Yet, she hesitated when she considered the wound in his abdomen.

She was a doctor, after all.