geli

e phone in my

hantom pain, a cruel, rhythmic re

ker button, taking

ake it," I murmured into the re

ef, pregnant pa

he speaker. A dark, velvet threat that

e voice was smooth, yet laced with letha

ll

nd-the unyielding tone of a Don

roat suddenly sandpaper

nd looked a

frail hands trembling as she stared at the

rare, agonizing

illed down her

she sobbed, her voice brea

room, I meticulously strapped my

scarred skin made me wince, but I forced a brig

"Our European extraction visas ar

e, but it pacifie

ape of my prosthetics. The wheelchair would sell the lie of a slow recovery;

iting outside my crumbling slum, a s

He silently drove me to a high-end

grand, gilded entrance, my he

te dining room. The heavy

alculating voices of sever

actually showed up," a

for her ten years ago?" another replied. "He skinned a man

eaving only the occasional, sharp crackle of a burning ci

through the chatte

for argument. "It is dead history. Anyone

open, the hinges

tion stopped

any table. Some were old classmates, now fully i

elchair, their eyes heavy

near the far e

tly nursing a glass of amber

connected contractor, leaned

but dangerous smile on his lips. "Why were you never seen

t went b

eet tutelage," I answered smoothly, keeping m

d like burnt a

lian's heavy, da

suffocating, thick with

t to the restaurant's private t

leaned my head back against the cha

e door cli

pped out in

ng, broad-shouldered frame bloc

railing, placing his large hands on e

le car accident he

ibrating rumble that s

d, refusing to break eye

wn at my loo

me

hand down t

panic explode

not feel flesh and bone-he wo

hest with a shocking

t touc

alf-step, visibly surpris

of my chair, my breat

lian," I warned, my voice shak

further, swirling wit

a mafia contract, Ev

wer, the terrace d

ust inside, their voices carry

eering voice echoed. "She is just a desperate woman trying to be

blood drainin

ds hung in the freezing a

, I lo

e. He did not blink. He was simply staring at me, waiti