nic'

ice wer

e blaring sirens, thebu

y left behind? T

e first signs of trouble. Tables littered on their sides, glass shattering under my feet, and my boys were otherwise oc

no business,

eloped by

a Mo

d before me, broken among the mighty, unmoved and unshaken, utterly unaffect

she just

t even a qu

n who had just appraised her and k

ng up gradually from the depths. But I could see thro

d slightly to

, arms folded, lips pressed tig

ed back

essure kep

spering, "Were you just

ed and sh

ver and speak to me li

restraining a laugh. "She blindsid

cross my face. Th

lindsi

ig

her r

cour

swallowed hard and tr

ble," he said, s

traigh

Elena Monroe was not a brave girl; no one

id. A woman who hadn't fled when she should have. Th

evel to my mouth and sipped it slowly while tracing the ag

here." Leo nodded.st

e and went on, "And next tim

such a good idea." Once,

es by turning my neck. Elena M

lanting and smirking, I clutch

hall

________________

ed into my office before the

e with no word to me and then stood w

ut it down, eyes blinking open and

ver Leo's head. "You're not going to like thi

pen and glared through its contents. I w

hed last night's incursion. She didn't fit in. "She was tipped," I sn

rs on the armrest of my chair

his hair standing up. "I have

s of her employment record, procedures for

thing explained the truth that s

oment of silence from Leo. I raised my eyes from th

ly managed to cross into the danger zone. At le

umbers with Dimitri's men." I stopped dead

a whisper that wasn't supposed to be ove

ome sort of point. "Didn't seem to care." "And she wasn

she was stupid. Or a liar. I b

captain in a very trained unit. Perhaps s

I didn't think so. Cops'

eir heads. But she hadn't. She'd come into my club, glared directly

rummed my fingers on the desk. "Where is she now?" Leo checke

in my chair. Leo's eye

stared at me for a moment, then shrugged

he folder

ho she talks to, what she eats for breakfast . If she

, picking

d hear somethi

e, my express

w, even, dangerous,"we'l

ion it. He just

, fingers still drum

rtain-Elena Monroewasn't

find out exactl

dn't like h

wouldn't lik