en and t

nd the garden. Find the rose." The voice haunted her, smooth and di

ng across the scene minutes before the hit. Neither of them had said what they were bo

burner phone, Dawn was still hours away, but s

r creak

pants clinging to his hips, His tattoos were a collection of shadows on hi

leep either," s

he door behind him. "You sa

ed it," she replied, "I

s, "You think your f

said. "But he was on that roofto

ce stretched

a pawn anymore, Alessia. You're a threat.

ask for

atter, You

tell me something, if it comes down to choosing

harp and unreadable, "Th

ou and Luca were brothers, I get that,

ed, "Then I'

s fell l

er world was crumbling, each revela

ch surprisingly gentle, "We don't know e

him, "You thin

He used to call it 'The Winter Garden,' Kept it off

allowing hard, "Th

og-cloaked hills, the sun barely piercing the morning mist. Alessia sat quietly in the passenger s

ith ghosts behind him, f

view. It was a sprawling Georgian mansion, elegant but cold. The surrounding ga

a kid," Alessia said as they park

e grounds with a predator's focus. "

doors were

old wood and forgotten perfume. Alessia led them down a corridor towa

ere, oak, enormous, a

, checking drawers,

ther and father hung in gold filigree, She remembered hating the portrait

open on hidden hinges, revealin

out this," s

ned her,

m his coat pocket. Within s

ilver rose-shaped pendant and a sta

customised I've seen the design before yea

at?" Ales

disappeared ten years ago, some said she

names etched into them in Latin, Her father

d to the

she flipped

eetings between her father and Elena, Others showed Luca exch

few weeks ago, walking into her fav

en recently,"

d, "Your father was

mething inside

he muttered, "Or maybe becaus

, my father was overprotect

of her and Luca, taken from a dist

est chair, Her hands tremb

said, "Why keep all this h

it was leverage. And leverage is power,

nk it was t

e someone who wants you to un

l clutched in her hand, "Then we need

here was a sudden noise, gla

ntly, stepping in fro

Footsteps echoed outside the room, heavy, and

or bur

oad-shouldered, a scar running

nned a

t the Avellino ba

his weapon, "

dded, "M

killed you

t here

hotos. He used to work with her father until he went rogue. R

yes shift

said with mock polit

," Dante

something from his coa

r," he said, "He wants h

oor, "And he's willing to kill

react, Marco thre

. Alessia screamed, clutching her ears.

, the front door bange

haking, "What th

rner phone, "Your fath

d at him,

moment, ever

ught, And Dante, Dante was the onl