came three

ud. No

ec

ibrary when the al

irst thing tha

e subtle shifts when guards changed posts. This silence was wrong. Too clean.She

n

ic

glass s

covering her head. Shouts echoed down the corridor-gunfire s

near her. Blood pool

someon

t move fa

familiar ones-and terror e

o-

e shot

ip van

alone. His suit jacket was gone, gun raised, eyes lethal. He scanned her in h

id sharply. "C

, shaking

nto him, one arm around her shoulders, sh

ndro said lowly, fier

roke someth

re room minutes later. Rei

d to her chest, breathing too fast.

rouched in f

ing. Not

ma

were," she whispere

id. "And tha

ing despite the fear. "Y

ed. "I underest

ost got m

kno

hed between th

und. "This is insane. I was wor

eached out-t

mattered more

he said again, but this t

she replied. "

th land

g a hand through his hair-an unconsc

w," he said quietly

let

snapped

aid bitterly

id, voice r

blin

g power?"

u," he admitt

om wen

. "You don't get to say that," she

ight, eyes dark with somethin

care," he said. "It

replied softly.

be

tside. The world

ing back into place-but it

to my quarters," he

ost pro

mo

I'm staying... you stop pretend

t her

how to pretend

e, Alessandro stared at t

had cros

wo

had

was no g