na

e West End Docks tasted

and low, threatening a storm that

my ribs-a secret weight. He thought I was wearing the cashmere

ng the labyrinth of rusted shipping

," I correct

ore he could speak, the sleek profile of a bl

mach t

far too high for the uneven pavement and a white trench co

her way over to us. She slipped her arm through

ake her off. "It's dangerous here, Sofia

said, gazing up at him with

tanding by the car. He gave

as t

rete as three SUVs tore arou

47s raised. They wore the di

roared, shoving

e odds were fatal. The Russians ha

vehicle. He was a mountain of a man, hi

lai boomed. "You buil

arled. "You're vio

ring." Nikolai s

e chaos, hands grabbed me. Rough, bru

froze. He had two targets to

old steel of his barrel against my temple. One of h

kolai said. "I'm feeling genero

lute, broken only by the slap of

" Dante said, h

een or the Ward? The wife or the c

. "Dante! Please! He's

ound. I simply lo

looked at the man who had waterboarded me three days ago be

ikolai cou

my calm. He saw the steel he had forged. Then he looke

ation. He always m

is tough. I can get her b

irl go," D

the damp air lik

Dante. She scrambled across the paveme

, but his eyes w

for you,"

ispered. "

ulled the

hammer to my chest. I l

d, off the edg

k water swall