an's

dossier on my desk. Alicia Carter was scrawled across the front, the name of the lady that had haunted me since the night she nearly collided with

d left me guarded, a king cloaked in mystery

Morales, my private investigator, leaned against the desk, his sharp features unreadable. Bot

er, until he died of cancer three years ago, when she was twenty-one. She's drowning in debt-$2,500 in back rent, plus medical bills from his treatment. Her lan

os of her rundown apartment, vibrant paintings stacked against cracked walls, a blurry shot of her storming out of the bar, her dark curls wild, her

asked, my voice low, a

ss. Puts on a brave face, but she's at her limit, eviction

but not weak. Doesn't know the

was a queen in waiting, unaware of her power. My empire demanded a wife to claim the throne, Nonno's

ers, but for the spark she'd ignited

, calculated. "Make her see there

an eyebrow. "

ied, my green eyes narrowing. "But

approval. "I'll dig deeper, see if Lan

to her photo. Alicia Carter, you've caught a

------------------------

ia's

and flickering bulb, was a prison I could no longer afford. Langley's voice slithered in my mind, his latest visit an hour ago: "You

I was alone, my paintings, vibrant swirls of color that held my soul gathering dust, my dreams crushed under $2,500 in rent and medi

prickling with the apartment's damp chill. Tears welled, spilling

. I needed to escape, Langley, the debts, the weight of a li

r was cool, the city's lights distant, mocking my despair. My sneakers crunched on the pat

ia. Just nerves. But footsteps echoed behind me, steady, deliberate.

, facing the driver from last night, the one who'd nearly hit me with his

ded, yanking against him

s voice flat. "My bo

er masking fear. "I don't know y

ne chilling. "Come with me the easy way, o

t? The near-accident flashed back, had it been no accident at all? F

oice wavered, terror creeping in. This was

is voice a low warn

one. "Fine," I said, my voice

a black car parked nearby, its tint

------------------------

drove. My heart pounded, each mile pulling me deeper into the unknown. Who was his boss? Wh

tter my life or save it, and I had no idea which. As the car sped through Orland

t I was walking into a world far darker a