Heart pounding, Claudia lifted her chin and walked toward him. She stopped about a foot away and stared back at him. Unable to handle his prolonged angry silence, she said, "I can't just stay here. You know I'm not willing to accept this situation as is."

"Damn it, Claudia," he said furiously. "You can't begin to comprehend how much danger you're in. You can be killed easily if you manage to leave my protection. That was a stupid thing to do, despite the fact that you ...