blets, no stock tickers, and no silence. Alexander sat close to her so

cold to the touch and looked like liquid armor. "You look like a weapon, Elena,"

hick with the scent of expensive cigars and old, rotting money. As they walked in, the room went s

ghtly on hers. "The men at Table Four. Don't look at t

his associates. They were laughing, sipping champagne, looking like pillars of

" Alexander said, his voice casual as they took th

im, her brow furr

on of my 'unnecessary' assets. I'm testing the market. If you buy them back, you're helpi

items were standard rare art, offshore holdin

vate logistics encrypted server. Formerly u

e that held the logs of the cartel's illegal shipm

ddle immediately. "F

d, her voice clear and c

ee the "dead" shopkeeper; he saw the woman on the arm of the most powerf

countered wit

ed, his face reddening. He w

not the auctioneer. He wanted to see if she would break.

id, her voice dropping

ayed down. He couldn't compete with

sold to Mrs. Vance," t

she was holding. But as she turned to

hispered, leaning in. "Now you have nothing left for

she asked, a cold dread

was a photo of an alleyway in Malta. A photo of a girl with an umbrella and a man bleeding on the gro

Alexander. "You're selling

"I'm liquidating my secrets. And since you're out of money,

with a triumphant grin.

useless. She looked at Alexander, who sat the

ruthlessness. It was a test of her loyalty. He wanted to see if she

't beg. Sh

She didn't look at the auct

choing off the cathedral walls. "Because the girl in

his life that night because I was a Good Samaritan. I saved him because we were finishing a job. If you buy that data, Mr. Thorne,

in panic. If Elena was claiming she was a criminal, then anyone associated

voice shouted from t

t Alexander. Alexander

as pulled from the screen. Elena sat

was warm, and for the first time, he squeezed her f

for me," h

uld hear. "I lied for us. Because if you go down, my $2 millio

captivated. "Rule Fourteen, Elena. Never under

in the glass doors. The violet-eyed woman was there, standing in

as bo