f rain tapping on the windowpane. She blinked against the sof

lleri

an uneasy sleep after hours of raw conversation. He hadn't spoken much after she confessed her

ped itself around wounds inst

pty, but she heard him mo

ngled hair. Her heart felt heavy yet grou

ssed in his usual black, hair damp, face u

ean to stay

r you to leave,"

venom either. Just a steady calm that

she murmured. "But I need to know... i

. "I regret a lot of

"Then stop pushing me away. If you want my loyalty, you

. "You'll get your answers. But

hings," she said. "I'm here be

"Then it's time you saw w

red car, eyes fixed on the passing streets. They left the elegance of the Moretti estate fa

cent of rust, sweat, and

ed, one eye swollen shut. He looked up as they entered

stif

?" she ask

her's drug ring. He's been skimming off th

"And you brought me here

ought you here so you understand

is lieutenant.

out of his teens, with the same dark curls as

one!" he bark

sn't he?" Al

didn't

rick said softly. "It always fi

orward, heart p

d you wanted to understand. This

our wife. Not yo

we risk the leak spreading. If we kill him, it se

hands trembled. The bo

...

uted. "I did it! Not

e punishing," Allerick

nightmare, Allerick placed a p

up," he t

tared

d stand by me.

rrowed. The boy was crying n

n. Her fingers brushed the cold met

ck, voice shaking. "If you wa

fell lik

k didn'

to his men. "Ta

agged,

led....but

un and shot Paolo once,

The echo of the gunshot r

dn't s

dn't f

d as the body s

he innocent. That's your mercy. I pun

gged. "And that's how

d. "That's h

peak the enti

her hands even though there was no blood on them. Her mind spun wit

ted Al

m he was. How del

hated the tiny part of her t

cy could be weakness. And

he wandered t

ct him to be th

ws with a book open

up. "Could

seeing h

sed th

ak you," he said. "I brought you

I need to b

ink you need to stop believ

t s

monster,

he said. "But we

owly, leaning against t

w," she whispered. "Does tha

"Blood makes you family. L

d l

ly audible. "That

"Then I guess we