Mill

brings a terribl

ed in a haze of rose petals

ness for passion. I had interpret

n the bedside table was a buc

touch gentle. "We can fight this. I know a lawyer. W

raspy, like sandpaper ove

y mind, I traced the crest stamped into the wa

otected the rose.

his orbit," I said. "I rema

t away with it?" Maya asked,

stiff. "I let him believe he's won. Ethan is arro

lted dangerously, but I gritted my tee

Maya. The ones you always

t the linoleum. She looked at me differently now. The pity

rder. A Don protects his own. He keeps his chaos behind closed doors. He

Eth

oppy. It lacks discipline. The old guard, the men who sat at the table with his father... they won't respect

corners of my mind. It wasn't about r

. "Not just move apartments.

he

surfaced in my memory. Rain. Grey skies. Coffe

sign degree I never u

ted out pragmatically. "He

cold resolve settling in my ch

xt morning, signing the pa

f liquid fire shooting up my arm, but I bit the inside o

rtment, it felt like wa

tly silhouettes of the woman I used to be. The wedding invit

raight to t

ked, frantically grabbing suitcases

ge," I

ached for a vintage copy of *The

, no diamonds. Just a sma

the title of "Don" was heavy on his should

it because I thought it was romantic

pped it li

t yet. I just shoved

tcase. "Sterling said forty-eight hours, but he sent

ok at the apartmen

go,"

door handle when a heavy

Bang.

ated through t

p voice boom

he man who used to drive me to the spa,

carried the wei

eart hammering against my ribs. "He k

tighter. The hard edge of the

oor, Ava!"

wants his