he First Girl

t girl who's sat in

hered into the room b

my hands, its rim chipped-probably on purpose. I imagined

st woman to underestima

e a lioness stalking a bored gazelle. Her heels click

onger than you," she said. "You think y

placing the cup o

t'll carve deep enou

the smile o

white lilies. "You have no idea what you've walked into,

re. "Funny. Yo

ndro stepped in, calm as ever, his eyes scanning us like

em?" h

instantly. "None. We

e her. He didn't

d at me long

was her

noti

hat Happen

woman before me, wa

always stood when he didn't want to answer. Like

me. "You ask too

owed to leave. Asking questions is a

exhaled through his nose, slow an

ce. Something old and raw s

he had this laugh you coul

appened

n." His jaw flexed. "I didn'

ward. "You bl

o me. "She died bec

hed the air ou

hen I asked wh

k I'll end u

thing unreadable pass

t," he said. "Yo

what he'd just implied,

with more t

with Clar

Blood in

t d

gh the courtyard just seco

on gravel, hands pressed over my head as s

rees. Men shouting. Someone

fountain, breathing hard, the scent of

d next to me, gun

hat the hell

ick rounds toward the garden wall. "Isabel

cre

sn't

instantly. "Stay

to do," I muttered

nfire

like

was worse th

k gate. One of Alessandro's me

dare this?"

ne soft," Alessandro replie

're w

e then. "That'

what he meant, Giovan

acker's boot," he said. "It

mach d

g me my father

i didn'

n't ne

ing to Feel L

een quiet

ofter than usual. Not ge

ls. The lights of Naples sparkled far in

about tonigh

from me," I said. "Forgive

is whiskey and watched the hor

r won't sto

ped his daughter. Did you

negotiate. Instea

asked, too bitter to laugh. "H

gaze piercing. "And wh

answer im

d, "To not

he same as wa

d. The scar at his jawline. T

scared,"

t get s

u're in

s eyes. "You're starting to feel

ow what to

door banged o

bel

pale. Her

n the tunnels beneath t

andro

of somethin

ed strai

es you're not the on