ony

te t-shirt, and a worn leather jacket. Rex drove me himself in an unrem

e houses grew into mansions, hidden behind stone walls and towering hedges. We finally stopped at

ung open wit

old man, leaning on a carved wooden cane, but his posture was straight, and the power

when he saw me. "H-girl! You final

hing my own lips as I rubbed my temples. "Th

for me to come inside. "Come, come.

tiques and oil paintings. Seated on a plush chesterfield sofa was

on Car

ed, his suit impeccably tailored. But it was his eyes that held you. They were a deep, stormy gray, and they radiated a cold, predat

smissive appraisal. In that single glance, he saw everything he needed to see: a t

but I felt the wave of his d

and dressed in a preppy, expensive style. He was

eerfully. "This is the young lady I've

eptible nod. He didn't bother to

ndow. In the circular driveway, parked near a fountain, was a beast of a vehicle. A custom-built, mat

cle. I knew ever

proprietary compo

intance, the Greek shipping magnate Mr. Stavros, who owed me a significant favor. I ha

you're admiring Hamilton's new toy. A gift from Mr. St

icle. "The composite armor is particularly impressive. A blend of ceramic matrix and amo

ung in the

, derisive laugh. "Miss Welch is a car en

but I saw it. A flicker. A tiny, almost

military grade. He would have received the full spec sheet, of cours

utcast from a minor pa

analytical. I had turned my attention to a painting on the

ing sound. "H-girl's knowledge

look. He cleared his

his large hand. He took a slow sip, using the moment to mask the su

as trying to read me, to peel back the layers a

et eyes met his stormy gray on

force meant to intimidate, to make lesser creatures submit. I

uriate him. The feeling of his power be

lips into a t

Hamilton Carter IV did not let a mystery go unsolved. He wo