ia

over the rim of the glass. His eyes, when they met

iek and burrowed her face into h

at the man I had been arranged

e-the way he always claimed he was too stresse

roke the hair of a club dancer, soothi

had been nothing but a

d straight into the sprawling kitc

othes and marched into the

horitative scowl, as though I w

, wearing one of my expe

e ordered, the command a sharp crack in the tense air. "On your

his chin. "And when you're done, pack your thing

face. A traditional omertà submission ritual-forcing a slighted fiancée to s

ally quiet. "I refuse to leave this territory until my

sit untouched, my hand

Leo, waiting for him to enforce the command. He di

he moment. It rolled off the edge, hit the floor, and bounced directly

y and dropped to her kne

she pleaded, her whispers echoing through the kitche

for a reply and ran down the hall

ed me violently against the

rth lumbar vertebra, sending a jolt of white-ho

l, grabbed another apple, and fo

reath hot and angry. "Peel it for

pathetic display of mob hierarch

e down upon it, and the sound of the flesh splitting

"The alliance between our fa

, your mistress, or the

ed flush crep

, so accustomed to my complian

seless burden!" he roared, hurli

rp spasm. His arm swung in a blur of motion, the

head to the side, leaving a bur

llic tang of bloo

on the island. My arm moved, a fluid extension of my will, and I sen

arp explosion, followed by the m

hood betrothal ceremony fell from

over our smilin

m, stepping carefully near the

claiming a tiny shar

practically invisible scratch, and

!" he spat, cradling her foot

m the corner of my mo

ully polished stone of contempt, "if you think I would ev

ng painfully into my skin, and violen

me toward the stove. "And reflect on your i

he vegetable basket and threw

nter of my chest, stealing

ed Chloe out of the room, lea

ooked down at the floor

ash can was

s I had given him, the custom-engraved watch from my fath

est, a physical weight that made i

ieces of my entire life, wa

never

way, leaving nothing behind

loyalty felt as if it had been surgically excise

me. Then I pulled out my phone and se