ara's face. Julian sat in the wheelchair, his back to the party, the l

r case. He extracted a cigarette and lit it with a gold

ing red. He exhaled a plume of

Tell your parents I'm not interested. Tell them

he watched the smoke

spinning the chair around to face her. His aggre

l out a phone or a notepad. She simply spoke.

ve

igarette burned unh

rimeter server," Elara continued, her voice clinical. "Yesterday morning.

eyes narrowed into slits. The mask of the broken invalid di

cinating," he

noring his denial. "You favor the left knee. Old injury? Maybe. But the mu

terrifying speed, pinning Elara against the stone railing. The footrests slammed into h

wish?" he hissed. "Wh

ain in her shins but held his gaze. "I need

face for a wire, for deception. He s

," he co

sit in the corner while you rot," Elara said. "If you reject me, they'll send Tiffany. O

rmrests loosened sligh

ou faking?

f your busines

"If you're incapacitated, the vultures come out. You're

It didn't reach his eyes, but it was there. He s

k," he said. "Which isn't sa

t in your way. In exchange, I get the Thorne name. I get protection. And when you'r

e. He looked at the party inside-Richard

year. You live in my house. Yo

" Elar

g to a murmur that made the hair on Elara's arms stand

replied, "you won't hav

hard poked his head out, h

g alright

heel of his chair. His face went slack, his shoulders s

Julian mumbled.

at her shoes, shri

deal," Ju