ng the wet streets of SOHO beneath a wave of smoky bourbon

ette at the back of the room. She dropped into the booth, her body si

heavy shot glass of Don Julio 19

-length hair messy in that effortless, downtown artist way. Across from her, Ave

across the table to touch Daphne's fre

sped. She picked up the shot glass an

st of fire in her empty stomach. Her heartbeat, erratic and wi

the glass down with a dull thud. "I baptized Gr

h both palms. "Holy shit! You actually did it! Tell me some

smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "An

d with rage. "That piece of human garbage. Destin stol

ip, pulling her cashmere cardigan tighter around herself. "Grisel is third branch, but she's still a Knig

ld me out five years ago to keep his pathetic company afloat, and Destin thought I was a helpless hei

with dangerous excitement. "Are we slashing Destin's tires, or

ing into the amber liqu

at?" Ave

was mixing with the bitter humiliation of the night, wa

e said slowly. "She parades around Manhattan acting like she's ro

er uncle passed away. Her cou

wild, toxic idea took root i

ss in her hand wobbled. "Daphne..

ne challenged,

rust-fund frat boy. He took over Knight Enterprises at twenty-six after his father stepped down. He gutted three rival hedge fun

candals," Daphne said, her eyes flashing with a manic,

g her wrist. "You don't play with a

ising over the music. She stood up, kicking off her

zel laughed, though sh

t bar like a general surveying a battlefield. Her dark ha

Bennet. I'm going to make him fall so hard he begs to sign the marriage license. And then, a

bles turned around, staring at her

verie pleaded, yanking on th

he room spun in lazy, pleasant circles. "I mean it. If I'm going

d, though she raised her glass in a salute. "To

her burning cheeks. "I need to pee. If I stay in

u," Averie said, s

as she pushed past the low wooden table. "

speakeasy. The lighting back here was almost non-existent, just a sin

phne reached out to brace herself against the wa

mn

rd, completely lo

floor, her forehead slammed directly i

ers scrambled wildly for purchase, clutching the

ng scent wrapped a

od, and the dark, smoky bite