sleep t

but inside... cold truths waited to be unraveled. My father's words echoed

, it wasn't an accident. A

y would he protect the man

ally flipped t

r I won't be able to forever. I trust Dante. He's not perfect, but he's l

fr

DeLu

us men my father never allowed in the hou

e scent of wet stone and pine. Dante was in the garden below, shirtless, punching a training b

time, I saw hi

ller... but as a man haunt

d in the doorway of his ho

t," I sai

His chest rose and fell. Sweat

er trust

es

he's

a towel. "And I've lived every day sin

r. "He asked yo

. "That's why

truth I didn't want

asked, swallowing th

"It wasn't pity. It w

d at my sides. "

esit

nce broke som

ven say it,"

forward. "I wanted to keep you close. Safe

all I am to you? Someone to be pro

ren

etting close to the enemy. But now I do

en closer. "N

ted him. I wanted to feel something other than grief and confusion. I wanted to believe

not

t

eceived a text from

found. Meet us.

't tel

answers

forgotten place with crumbling walls and stained-g

nside, hea

peared in t

ight-tall, dark jacke

De

e Whitmore," he s

instinctively.

hat your fat

. "He said you w

this world. Too soft. But he knew things...

Dan

your father stepped down. But your dad changed his mind. Said

. "You had

e pulled the trigger. Doesn't matter now. Wh

you want

r father kept. Judges. Politicians. Dirty cops

't hav

idn't he?" Leo's eyes gleamed

. "You're not

" he whispered, pulli

d turne

said, trembling, "and D

led. "Let

hen, a sho

with a cry, blood bloom

from the shado

t to touch her

bling away as Dan

t's

stion anything. I just ran with him th

oward

re dangerous than eith