te

st fail to stop; it tu

mmeted forty percent. The news cycle was calling it a management crisis. The streets

inking ship. The Commission wasn't just a

. My new company, Cavallaro Security, had already signed three major contracts. L

ercom

crisp. "I have a Ms. Vitiello on line one.

of me. A clean audit. The stark w

er thr

an

; I could hear the exhaustion, the fraying edg

spered. "We can't make payroll. The soldiers are

-signature. "Bor

up the stock price. He thought it would

d. Unbelievably, recklessly stupid. The Russians didn't

telling me

t real emotion I had heard from her in years. "I made a terrible mistake, Dante. L

flat, "because he looks good in a suit an

ante. You and me. We grew up togeth

to a low, dangerous growl. "He would have put a bullet in

w. Please. Jus

hat?" I asked.

back t

in the air, hea

ntic torrent. "We can go back to the plan. The engagement. I will marry you, Dant

displacing the last embers of rage. It

me starve in the alley, and then whistle when she needed a guard

wanted the ti

orked so ha

is kingdom so you would be safe. The title

he screamed, her composu

sharp, jagged soun

e it is a business transaction," I said. "B

nte

my leather chair. "And I definitely don't want y

lose everything

ow,"

be so cruel?

Dante who loved you died the moment

anic rising in her voice. "We nee

ome here,

iving me. We are coming

monitors. My building had armed guards in

softly, "I will treat you

ouldn'

y m

d the co

" I cal

pped in from the adjoin

e police

momentarily stu

hing my tie. "Two individuals attempting to breach the premis

. It was a v

plea