he dim glow of the streetlights. It was a night painted in shadows, where whispered

one hand, the other fist clenched at his side. The city beneath him pulsed with lif

here was one thou

hy had she

her from his life the way one would a thorn painfully, yet with necessity.

her once more, the carefully construc

till echoed

your hel

actly laughe

e woman who'd run off, leaving nothing bu

ng in her eyes. Somethin

new fear wh

hatever she was running

le pulled

ntrigu

t Comes

they swung open to allow entry to

c cocky smile. His black hair was wet from the rain, the leather jacket drap

sip from his own

t peg you for the se

cold. "But if she's back, I need

ished, his smile growing s

retrieved his suit jacket, shr

what the gho

n Who Wa

ass of whiskey she didn't particularly taste. The air was thick with the smell of expensive c

, here

traight into the fire. Dante wasn't a

had no

ing up with her. And this time, t

he felt the shift in the atmosphere. The

nt

wards her with the same lethal elegance

, neither of

om her, in his chair, his

nutes," he bit ou

ling herself. "I wouldn't be h

rt. Five years, Elena. You disappeared. No note, no warning. And now you

ze meeting his. "But I know you, Dante. You

"Am I a pro

ed. "No.

tensed

, but then forc

ar

een them, heavy as

nge, but the air around him d

whispered. "Because if this is a game,

alive, Dante. I've seen

le

ut it wasn't amusement

eve my dead brother is

s coming for you, for your empire. And he

is emerald eyes dark wi

city will be awash in blood before he

. "You don't understand, Dante. He's d

iled, hu

am

evil

n't waste

led the search, tracking down every whisper, every rumor

drew on, the trut

live. He'd been pla

w of Dante's supporters were already killed. And now his broth

office, staring at the

he pho

swere

onated through the receive

little b

tightened o

rc

Alive.

o continued. "You must have thought you

as ice. "Where

use. "Tell me, how does it feel to know I'm back? To know that

ed. "I'll bury you

'll see, little br

ic

ne was

hone, his heart a ste

to Nico, his voi

him.

arco wan

uld give