xia

ing the windowpane, but the silence insid

ho had just desecrated a grave. He looked like a man

s calm. Reasonable. Terrifyingly steady. "The fami

g by the window, looking down at the shadowy a

closer, his shoes silent on the plush carpet. "I still car

, apparently. Or scattered

muscle in his j

hand?" he a

surd a hysterical laug

ng hotel lights. "You destroyed it. You destroyed my heart. You are the root of every

man I thought I married ten years ago. The

door bu

't wearing a hospital gown an

ng her chest. "She's scaring

His body shielded hers. The ins

r, his hand resting on her

ear vanished, replaced by a sneer only visible to me. "S

utch. She pulled out a sta

my feet. "Buy yourself something nice.

the carpet. It was probably skimm

voice trembling with suppressed ra

s a brittle, glassy sound. "You're

he ledgers she butchered. The times I covere

ssandra," I said softly. "I kn

eatrical sob that echoed off the walls

ng to turn you against m

at me over her shaking shoulders. His eyes we

said. "You've lost

sked. "Hiding behind a thi

answer. He

"Cassandra needs to rest. We'll deal with Alex

That meant they were done playing nice.

e lock turned with a fina

s al

ney on the floor.

ened it. The winter air bit

er filled with cardboard boxes be

ng here w

ook back at the room. I didn't look back at

ump