e high walls framing a room dominated by a massive mahogany desk and a roaring

crumpled photograph sent by the Cárdenas clan. The white borders were singed bro

ors his hand resting on his holstered s

hat mountain road by chance. Santiago was their logistics chief before he tried to cross them and work for us. They were hunting Santiago's sister to

e paper flared bright orange, burning away the crosshair

d into pure stone they don't just want her for information. They wan

report to the local morgue. We move her to a safehouse in Panama or Madrid. Get her out of the country Mat

ere, Matteo

liability A civilian The sister of a dead traitor Why are you risking t

glass windows overlooking the courtyard. He looke

o low Esteban had to strain to hear it I see every sin I've ever committed look

a steady, melancholic drizzle against th

sweater and cotton trousers Dr. Vargas had provided. Her mind was a chaotic storm of fear confusion and growing anger. S

on key turne

ress shirt with the top button undone his sleeves rolled up to reveal dark intricate tattoos creeping

own on the small

esterday morning, Matteo

throbbing slightly but she ignored the pain. She marche

ng with a fierce brilliant anger that caught Matteo comp

up slightly in an uncharacteristic gesture of

appened out there today Don Matteo. You shot a man without hesitation. You didn't even blink. You live in a palace

rs lowered their eyes when he spoke. Yet this twenty two year old girl recovering from a near f

a sudden, violent spark of warmth creeping

dropping an octave rich and dangerously dark. The man I killed today would

o be brought here You hit me with your car you locked me in a room and you're keeping me away from my family

lf sharply, his jaw clenching so har

the front of his dark shirt her small finger

th desperate emotion. What were you going

ck and suffocating, threatening to break through his cold facade. He raised his hand his long warm fingers wrapping gently o

he could feel the heat radiating from his skin. I know that if you step outside these gates tonight you will not survive t

ing monster she had seen in the courtyard faded replaced by a man carrying a heavy silent burden that seemed to carve deep lines into his handsome face. Then tell

s iron will crumbling under her gaze. For th

king tenderness. Isabel shivered at the contact but she didn't pull away. The contrast between his dangerous vio

b lingering against her bottom lip for a fraction of a s

walking toward the

e called

he brass handle, looking

oing this for

ent moment. Because saving you is t

and locked the

r She was terrified of him terrified of his world but as she looked down at the steaming tray of fo