arrived in th

oor of Aria's rented suite at the Hollowmist Hotel. She stared a

. No si

ady knew who

oke th

hthorn Manor

oiled with anticipation and dread. She'd been trying to find a

s wasn'

a cha

gh strap, burner phone in her bra, poison ring on her right hand. Every instinct

p in front of the hotel withou

oor o

lid i

to gravel, trees looming like sentinels around the Ashthorn estate. The manor stood ahead, vast and

for her before the

rance. Pale. Silent. Hold

said without me

sound. Aria's heels clicked like gunshots across the marble floor. Her escort led

t a door carve

wait

teppe

lled up, jacket gone. A drink in one hand. Th

dn't

men woul

omen ar

y looked at her. "And

alking toward him. "What do

t blink.

"Careful. That's more

"To masks. And the ones

st his. "To predators who f

ot loud. Not

hat she lik

for her to do the same. "You intrigue me, Ar

invite me

to know what gam

he said. "Ju

at que

he girl your father buri

es dar

ir ch

ul," h

you liked

like su

did my

ticked in

gone t

o

and, gaze fixed on her like a bla

ow en

know stories. Shadows. I'm not the

who ar

to feel the heat of him. "I'm

eath h

like wire. There was no pretend

t t

electri

id of you," s

hair back, slow and deli

bang echoed fro

ned. His ha

ered red dow

as a guard burst in. "West wing

k into the fire. "Ge

not h

if I say

ment. He grabbed her wris

sound-shouting, gunfire, heavy boots. Aria's heart po

ng behind th

ing

alm print. Inside, a steel-lined vault room blinke

her in.

abou

he one the

n he wa

r seale

e eerie silence,

t want pr

want

d ans

burning behind Lu

m move-fast, lethal, unhesitating. He wa

as th

he dragged one intruder down a hall by the

ood ra

tat

knew

she'd stolen years ago. Her sister's last photograp

t just a r

connect

er p

r rev

down, the vault door

, bloody, bruise

fter you," h

t slowly. "How

of them sai

est ti

her like he was seeing her for the first tim

ask you t

ks like neither of us ar

top pre

"You want truth? Come back tomorrow ni

if I

kly. "I'll co

ed and walked back int