was a place where Washington's elite quietly liquidated assets. She didn't bother with pleasantries. She upended

est..." The man squinted through his loupe. "All together, nine h

m her own wrist, a gift from Carlee's father years ago, and added it to the pile. That, plus a wire transfer from her o

afé in Dupont Circle. A cup of black coffee sat untouched in fro

ite her, a grin on his face. "Showt

white envelope across t

osity. "Aren't you even a little interested in the backstory? Me and C

nterested in people's private lives," she said

of powerful people, but they were all messy, emotional, an

the thick stack of hundred-dollar bills inside. Five t

ous. "And big games require more than one player." He met her gaze directly. "Carlee Ro

handle

he Romans. Their business. Their enemies. I could be useful." He offered a charming, roguish smile. "I don'

tly what he was: an opportunist, smart enough to recognize a rising power a

lly," she said, he

uickly. "Okay. Fair enough." He shrugged. "But it's bett

l. You earned it

Or insurance. When Carlee decides to get revenge on me for my pa

his minor acting career out of pure spite. Genevieve slid the envelope back, o

ut of D.C. Go to L.A. Go to New York. The farther

her eyes, and knew there was no point in

n in his voice. "I won't forget the name. If you ever n

watched him go, then allowed herself a small, qu

brated on the table. A text from an unknown number. She glanced at it, expectin

ice of Senator Dickson Hayes. We are contacting you regarding a delicate matt

s with power and old money for generations. The same name she had carried her entire

me were they co

emory surfaced, sharp and clear: her mother, sitting at the

when we adopted you. It was the name on your original birth documents, the only

abruptly, leaving the coffee untouched, her mind reeling. The war with Jaycob and Carlee suddenly seemed like a small, pet