a

unger began to di

afford to. My cards were still locked, frozen

he emai

n Summit. The Plaza Hotel. 8 PM. Bring

t desperation has a way of silencing in

at hung a little too loosely on my frame. I walked into the ball

merica-the heavyweights of the Five Families. The ai

Isabella was on his arm, glittering in diam

, scanning the cr

r screen lowered behind the stage with

e, dripping with false sweetness. "Before we discuss the new territo

fr

n flicker

y architect

taken of me in the sanctuary of our bedroom. M

hen,

mate, vulnerable, mea

ow, guttural, male laughter tha

orizontal structures than ver

hit. She wasn't just firing me; she was making sure no one in this city would ever

begging him with my

a glass of scotch, his knuckles white

lla called out. "

ialized beside me a

truggled, but th

it, past the smirking faces o

lley. I landed on my hands and knees on the wet pav

ring the link to the warmth and light

asping for air, t

er

itone. Smooth like velv

oked

er than Ethan, more solid. He wore a tuxedo that strained against

t a bottle

yself against the rough bric

r on the ground and slid it toward m

happened ins

how?" I spat, wiping

at. "I found it distastefu

o the light of

car cutting through his left eyebrow.

d. "Drink the wate

your water.

ity," he said calmly. "But it w

in. I'll drive you to the train station.

ld you h

ng his cigarette into a puddle. "And I ha

er in a way Ethan never did. Ethan was a prince pla

nothing le

in t