t lies to you. It tells you

it b

en, it's

ft behind. The echo of his voice still

ould be dea

rawer. With Enzo's name on it.

chest and whispered., "What ar

for movement. At some point, I changed out of the robe and into bla

t my door just after

ened

die, her dark curls tied back, she d

early,

morning with 'come alone.' I f

and shut the d

und. "So? Wher

. Just

her the

letter, then looked up

n my drawer. Someone plan

sharp. "He let

give him

ssia

eld onto that piece of paper li

meone who knows how to get past Valenti

from me. "You t

the handwriting. He said it belonged

Wait. He actuall

es

e getting under h

's not the win y

ward. "What's

Something was rotten in our

wed hard. "Y

n't a

I was already sta

dining room I didn't recognize, eating eggs I didn't taste,

e hadn't spent the nigh

at me. "

N

ured himself coffee, and finally s

gift? Because the las

a tablet from his jacket,

footage,

wed figure moved past the camera, paused at the guar

igure ente

d my

ong?"

ty se

lked back out. Lucien paus

ly. Just enough to cat

y blood sto

ot seeing this

're

n't be

oice dropp

went to the funera

n't re

g. Someone who should b

nodde

he?" I

is Rafae

ocked up.

ps. Enforcer. He disappeared five yea

r confirmed it. There was a bod

uth twisted

red a

ody wasn't his? What if th

father fake so

im. Or wha

s. "Why would Rafael come back no

to finish what yo

hink Enzo was w

ot too close to something. And Ra

nts me to foll

ed. "Are yo

"Yes. Are you g

d just long enoug

, "Y

't tru

need

rest of the house. Not in temperature, but in energy. Black le

on his laptop and turne

companies. Most are legal fronts. Cons

numbers. "Thes

. "That's because they are. O

d it a

ch firm?

aceable capital. No board of directors.

ook

athe

it. Then I s

ldn't be in

't manufacture medicine. It manufactures silence. High-

're saying my father

siness on eliminating people who get i

zo foun

ed. "Maybe

up and

is is

cut in.

my f

other," Lucien f

him. "Why are

sk. "Because my father tried to

ked. "

for a murder I didn't commit. Had me locked away

stoppe

he eye. "I escaped. And I

aw it. Not the power. N

i had scars I

ht. Then his phone buzzed. He checked

s it?"

re's been a breach

ch dropp

But the guard sa

kind o

met m

ack r

od ran

zo's tattoo,

from the drawer and h

hind me,

ook

st a flurry of security scrambling for positions. Ou

d past

fr

e a black hood and a mask

zed the tatto

ack

d straig

words that knocked

o, Al