it the sky that night-i

ouch where Casey used to sit. The fire in the hearth crackled, but the silence inside the villa

sight," he muttered.

r slamm

a's sudden disappearance wasn't a coincidence. Someone was

safe here." His voice

e bourbon a

s's men. Luca Alessi. That ghost from the past had returned, and now Ivan's c

he surrogate anym

Needed her. Wanted to break her and hold h

"Call every informant in Calabria. I want Lu

tated. "And

"Bring her back. Al

bandoned train station Luca had led them to. Mirella was asleep besi

had kicked again, softer this ti

ow, sharpening a knife slowly.

know," sh

ant hi

n turned away. "I do

le

finally said. "Or for love. If he comes,

oo

nt him

sey's voice was low, fie

. He hadn't even looked at it until now. He had been so obsessed wit

his silence. Her stubbornness l

a cig

nch," he murmured. "And this tim

grinned as he watched foota

ing to bleed," he said, and tossed a

ing candlelight that barely lit the old train station. The rain outsi

er belly again. The baby

te him," sh

er, but the knif

she swallowed, remembering the night she tried to walk out and he blocked the door, more beast t

uttered. "First your mother, then the street boy who

laugh, but there we

ne's project," she whispe

until you face hi

uca. "Why are y

riend I ever had. And because Ivan Park took something

her eyes. "Are we dead yet?" she croaked. "Because if I have to

ed. "She's

muttered, but a smile

the plan? Keep hiding till your water bre

d to find someone who knew my parents before they

your baby daddy might've

m. Or maybe they betrayed him. I don't know. But I'm goi

he map spread across the table like a

ng," he said. "

d. "You think she's

out her family. About who she is. And I kept that truth

nother c

ho I think she might

stroy th

he first time, I don't want to bury something

r way toward a hidden village in the mountains-a pla

nces. At one point, Mirella started singing horribly on purpose to

did the

a black SUV appeared

ve got company. And

sey whispered, clu

edal. "Welcome back to

n. And no one woul