esco'

ong since expired. I had shipping routes to secure, rival syndica

her incompetent woman whimper in front of a f

's see what you're

aybach as it glided into the courtyard. T

Sharp, observant green eyes. A vintage crimson dress th

us kind of beauty that most men in my line of w

her appearance that

king at the fleet of custom sports cars or breathlessl

counted my guards. She noted the heavy security perimeters. She even stared

sed; she was anal

oom, stepping quietly out onto the second-floo

pping. Then, without warning, she stopped in her tracks. Her head tilted up

ew she was being watched. I took a small st

rest

leaning against the console as the feed fro

yrant, wearing that annoyingly, rehearsed doll-smile s

Stella, appeared to take the

salvo. Clear and dripp

're

moment, the candidate's face would fall. Some would burst into tears; others

ic laugh. It wasn't a nervous one-it w

he charged like an angry kitten, folding

s so f

, bringing her eyes directly level with

tteo's rigid posture stiffened, and even Madame Stella looked like

enuine smile breaking through my co

cia immediately deployed p

to the brim with pulp orange juice, walked right back over to Diana,

e with malice, waiting for the

looked down at the dark wet stain, sh

a small smirk playing on her lips as she reached out and lightly tapped Luci

nt. This was unexpected. The script had

nto her dress pocket, pulled out a realistic, rubber

eam. The last nanny from Paris had faint

it between her long fingers before letting out

nger at her. "You're supposed to be screamin

bookshelves, desperately trying to stifle a cough that was ve

legance, "I'm far more terrified of my university tuitio

balcony window and tossed the rubber

are you, Di

turned around and deliberately shoved a hand-carved, four-thousand-dollar antique Vene

. I winced slightly. That wa

diately threw her hands in the air, pointing her small fing

ld panic, throw a hysterical fit, or scr

t, staring down at the little girl with a c

her cheeks flushing bright red.

ded total control of the room, "framing other people for your own mess is completely pathetic

ed, humiliated, and completely outmaneuvered. Nothing was working. For t

pouted, her small lip trembling as sh

moment, her green eyes softening just a b

about the question seriou

lightly patting her high pon

ately testing her boundaries to see if this woman, like all the

g Diana's thumb in her small fist. Without another word, the terror of the Marin

a was beaming with pure rel

pped inside, his eyes glued to the master monitor showing

r his broad chest. "Diana certainly proved us

a deep exhale. "It hasn't even been two hours, and

y. "I think she actuall

ing bitterly at the screen.

ody stepped foot inside Lady Luci

o calm, far too sharp, and entirely immune to the tactics that broke ordinary pe

Ricci or maybe the Chicago syndicate? An undercover as

my life in the shadows had made me

the monitor-her bold smile, her fierce

," I murmured softly to Matteo. "I want ever

the contract?,

e screens, adjusting

but dangerous sparkle appearing in