rce, a theater of cruelty designed t

Capo hauled a sobbing

lo to pawn it, only to damage the i

I knew it, and

he ordered her hands

nausea roiling in my stoma

e maid wa

t Sofia had either paid her off or

. He cared about order. He cared abou

e asked, his voice materi

und. I couldn't b

son," I said, my voice trem

the Gala aboard the Lady Anastasia. You will wear the red dress

owly, meeti

ill

," Dante

over me, sucking the air o

oy Mia to the front lines of the t

strike. He knew my sist

monster," I

nd who expect

display of gr

under the chandeliers, and men discussed murde

the red

y and suffocating. It fel

on the upper deck, holding co

atching her like a ha

, my stomach twis

a," I

rcle p

e, her eyes gleam

tor baring its teeth. "Dante

words tasting like ash an

," Sofia s

hug me, a performan

in, her lips b

voice a venomous hiss. "You are just the ba

ack abruptly

ical, a poorl

backward, tipping o

!" she

her fingers loc

ce. The world t

ent over

me like a concrete wall, knoc

ves swallow

he heavy, waterlogge

d my limbs, turni

surface, gas

!" I s

aw

deck above, a dark shape

s swi

g through the water w

oming to

and, desperation c

oked

second, our

. He saw

swam p

am to

e water, holding her close against hi

n't lo

ped ki

my bones, but the r

cho

etween life and

water pu

ant to fig

rabbed the bac

curity staff hauled me onto a rescu

, shivering violently, vomiting

he yacht, holding Sofia in his arms like s

r pulse. He was ki

asked if I was

ing the brine

," I rasped to t

hen handed me a

lumsy, but I dialed the

d when my bro

instantly alert. "Why are you

said. My voice

liance

opped an octave, shifting into th

," I said, stari

e, Luca. Take me ba

the promise of violence lingerin

I said, watching my husb

othing le