llow still cold. She'd spent the night by the window, watching s

ords hau

ies you've b

if he did... how long bef

hadn't hit the tabloids-Luca's cleanup crew was too efficient-but whispers were swi

away in a

jeans, leather jacket, steel-tipped boots. Her hair tied back. Her kn

to the manor this time. No

oor creaking o

too quiet. No g

sil

d

table, a glass of red wine in one hand

ame,"

inv

over her. "Dr

f we were going

be b

s from him. "

did

der across the table.

open it. "W

le you thought you s

d turned

said casually. "Wanted

s. "You knew who I wa

ly one that crashed my father's funeral wit

wallow

he asked. "You g

gun. "If I wanted you dead, Aria, you

ven

rstan

nked. "

can't stop thi

eath c

a? I should've snapped your wrist. Should've ended it. B

ed beside her chair. "You're not like them.

ched," she

fro

Just lightly. Enoug

Aria," he murmured. "You want ans

ld've pu

ad into his touch. "And wh

her's empire. The wolves. The bloodlines.

ou at t

meone be

was low.

ne

e to rule b

how to survive hell and

unding. "This isn't

. "It's a kin

s a collision-of secrets, of fire, of all the things they'd tri

it hi

ed into

aw. Hung

ended t

one vibrating cut

ay, jaw clench

al

hed his f

he

us

hand

ed the

pened?" s

Something unread

rtment. I

ha

omeone wanted

ed back, bre

?" she w

se someone's scared of what

n take me all the way in,

with me. Tonight, I show

hidden elevator she hadn't known existed. It d

ors opened,

ons, ancient symbols on the walls. And a

"What is

urned

eyes glo

eflec

ick of

e

the part of me no o

lammed shut