ctly Did

Alessandro said,

und a sealed hatch under the east tunnel.

s in my own house,"

do I,"

tening. "You weren't invi

d. You don't get to shut me ou

an eyebrow. "She

handed me a second flashlight

stone walls ran tight around us, the smell

oes this g

emnant from World War II. My grandfather

rmi

Bolted shut. Giovanni bent down, twist

, the door c

lap. Rot. Oil. And somet

oo

, gun drawn. I followed A

A table, a single chair... a

d. He touched the wall, e

," he said quietly.

o did?"

tbulb flicker

tood in th

acelet. The one I'd l

s belongs to y

d it," Alessandro said, voice

en crack. "It was already

. "And decided to

. "Don't flatter yourself. I was ju

es, backing her into the stone wall. "If

ly. "Kill me like you killed

witched. J

to say her na

sted you. And you buried her

went dea

ed betw

won't change what we saw. Someone used th

oked past me,

e goes down her

Giovanni asked, no

older than steel. "She s

ve, Isabella's voic

e gates, Ale. But she's

't loo

smirk all the w

d've let

aned against the stone railing beside me

said. "When Isabella menti

hosts," Giovanni said. "They crowd

him. "Was Cl

. She didn't ask questions. Didn't argue. She

get me kill

fter than I expected. "You ma

e or f

ot

een us. Then, "You've

. Saved my life once. I've r

eserve you

e point. We don't survive this world becaus

d off th

Val

ea

nto the light. Some things

alke

n't sure if he was warning me

See the

I asked, startled by Alessa

hands in his pockets, ha

" he said. "Too

many answers lately

ou think I'm

power people give yo

"And what do you

ches. Nightmare

id. "You give

hat's not a

's a wa

, gravel-smooth, full

ou if I don't know

anyone," I whispe

pause

ecause I need someo

y. "You want me t

nd my ear. "I want you to be the only thing i

gered. Not ro

was inches

her of u

we both

ck of a

or bur

men. Guns dra

one barke

ro shove

xploded in

shat

hit th

eone sc

t was