five in the afternoon. It was a massive, heavily armored truck painted in a forbidding matte black;

relentless vibration rattling my nerves. I picked it up, my stomac

ink balloons spelling out Lyra's name and

exted. "Lyra doesn't like how

in. "We should just let her freeze in the Norther

on a livestream," Asher added. "

Extraction Officer stood there, clad in a crisp tactical uniform. H

s personally approved by the Northern Boss," he said,

ude, but my eyes were dra

ication popped

d the group name t

ia Moretti's nickname

urate," Ro

fectly today,

message, a silent endo

nd get over here to make the video. That n

a second. He was using his authority as the future Don to validat

s in the top right corner of the chat. I scrolled do

ve G

hat history, photos, and shared secrets vanished from

deleted Rowan. I deleted

mber, then deleted it entirely, severing the last di

climbed into the back of the armored vehicle. The heavy doors sl

raday bag," he said, his voice muffled by the thick walls. "Phone

nd sealed it shut, embracing the

Blood Syndicate territory, but I looked straight ahead at the metal partition. I d

officer announced over the intercom, s

t the tires touched neutral ground, a violent, tearing sensation r

our heirs. Because I had signed a permanent defection contract

tching my chest so tightly that my knuckles turned white. It felt like someon

ing pain wash over me until it settled into a permanent, hollow a