nna

o the cool night air, and Julian's men piled into the waiting f

came immediately obvious t

, then at Julian, and stated the obvious with strained form

vehicle, deep in conversation with his lead

chose

rfected over eighteen years in this

lights shrank to red pinpricks a

yndicate territo

The March wind cut through the thin fabric. Som

y tutoring session, his hand hovering near the gun holstered beneath his jacket even though we were on protected

orld. Less than a ghost-an

ned street. My heels were the

footsteps.

instead-a gift from my father, who'd insisted that a Consiglie

. Not a grip of knuckles and bone but a solid, encompassing heat that

p into Jul

his shirt collar torn open. The mighty heir who commanded three hundre

ay?" His voice was a

to fight had drained fro

fted into something darker-something closer to

ng home,"

lt like wading through seawater. Just outside the iron gat

l choice for unive

in the eye. "Sou

me out fla

moment. Then he nodded once a

tification for an upcoming mountain tactical retreat-a brutal training weekend run by forme

he sign-up li

essaged me. He'd registered for the

r to check his nam

weeks ago. Long before

-