phin

sper, cutting through the heavy silence in the

y through the sparse details of the initial reports. Dead.

t. It was the sharp, predatory grin of a chess player who ju

electric with a sudden, brilliant clarity.

itial shock, his mind shifting back t

e romantic scandal with Yvonne-was a firecracker. It would have made a lot of noise, caused some embarrassment, b

g window, looking down at the city lights

An accusation of murder, especially the murder of an ally's son on his own territory, is

is in chaos. They are vulnerable. The last thing they have time or energy

ped the implication. "So... we

my head. "Go home? Oh, no. The

ew board layout with perfect clarity. "Who benefits t

ther. Julian Sinclair. If Damien is depos

ous beneficiary. Which means he's the first thread I pull. Whether he's the on

drunken brawl. Xavier Sterling wasn't the target; he was the pawn. The w

of it was chill

enough to convince the other packs. But every frame-up has a flaw.

tting the weight of m

flaw... if I can be the one who pr

conclusion hu

a debt," I finished, my voice soft but triumphant. "A debt so large, he'll ha

ed. "You want t

assive nuisance to an active, indispensable asset. I'll no longer be negotiatin

o get a close-up look at my dear 'fiancé' and all his othe

plan was breathtaking. E

everything. Every police report, every rumor, ever

s' is no longer a mere investment consultant. He's about to b

a reason to be allowed into the hear

der name. George. I typed a short message to a number I hadn't used in years: a secure relay that would forward to Julia

e would be, he would come. If he wasn't, I

down on the ta

across my face. It seemed m

ter, the doorbell t

r, his body tense as he peered through the

mixture of confusion and disbelief. "Bo

y heart starting to pou

r," Leo said. "And h

provide opportunities; sometimes, it delivered them right to y

ng back into the calm, authoritative persona of Silas

him