of the quiet falling on him intensifying the

ks, her fierce defiance, and the way she

he ought to have been able to ignore

t all he stood for pulled at something buried deep inside

d this planet, ones that had kept him alive and in charge. H

en door of his office. Enzo arrived with a

sponded,

, his voi

nxiety with the icy indifferenc

s the

iGregorio seem to believe they are entitled to revenge. Enzo

ces in the lower district,

thing else than arrogant, the DiGregorios were with their small-scale

realized who they were

messag

. "Make it clear that they will not be walking aw

gaze betrayed a hesitancy, somethin

t is

not feeling li

all the due respect, this is a deadly game. Making

a weakness, and they will make as

He anticipated the inqui

al, possessive twist in his chest

perhaps, it was there a

e glacial. "I want anyone who crosses th

ly, while the mi

stood,

, his choice weighing over him. He recog

y conceivable limit would

he had turned into an unintentional piece

as he gazed at the door. He was

very kingdom he had created, he

ided between his dominion and t

here he was, losing that same control over s

cended by a knock on his office doo

ung, aspirational, with a taste for carelessn

. I was on the street walking. Heard

ebrow to indicate h

g some of the smaller gangs to their side, they are planning a

attention is scattered. Dante's face staye

re expected, an

losing his edge, they w

e low, h

and w

ld shipping wareho

to show a c

erfe

house by midnight, staring at the humans hud

and mistaken ambition-DiGregorio's guys were there. To believ

rt speaking to the assembly; the acoustic

ntended. They were gathering, trying to present him as a monarch whose

the side door, someone slipped stealthily into the

what the devil

him. She had no place in this planet and no awarenes

f respect mixed with his annoyance as he re

behind her before he could stop himself. His hand dr

doing?" He murmured angrily

his, a mix of defiance and something more that mirrored

I could ask you the same thing." "I'm here because

fixed. You are here risking your life. Wh

of." "Every day I live with the results of their behavior. But u

a flash of shame he hadn't experienced in years. But he pushed

voice subdued and under control. And you

hed back, her eyes fixed. Should you s

red. At least not one he was ready to a

he couldn't ignore surged when

efore he could answer. Both stopped, instincts guiding them

led, "DiGregorio wants all hands-on deck ton

success in her eyes. "Listen that. E

r warningly, his a

ui

itude changed to one of will. "I will a

otions deliberate before he could stop her. Dante's irritation s

e as they neared. They intended to directly confront one of Dante's main

ugh, his eye straying between the curre

ldiers had seen them and his eyes

tinct. Shots went off, yells erupted, and Dante moved with lethal

de yet focused eyes fixate

he dust cleared, but Dante's mind was