ia

m smelled like

ngth mirror in a dress that cost more than most cars. Tight white silk,

Exactly how Nikola

ing il

seamstress

worked quickly, professionally-like she'd done this before.

by, arms folded,

age," she reminde

hal," the seamstress replied with

-if it weren't for the fact that I w

just a

fuckin

ed in smoky black liner. My lips painted wine-

t look

ould kiss a killer and then whisper h

was ac

the ceremon

ests begin arriving at eleve

urse I

om alone. Wouldn't want anyone to th

know what Niko

ngle-edged razor. That stitched beneath my left breast was a l

ko

believed

first cigarette in five years, watching the sky choke with

ht would be

s wasn't

t was a

ng in," Lukas

g," I m

rd, holding out

e r

snapping th

d. Custom-fit for the gir

o call it off

. "You want to t

oth knew it wasn't about Aliar

long I could surv

ia

ered like a cage d

t playing something expensive in the background. Every

d the blood

y weren

l one. This wasn't a church. Just a ceremonial sta

ie. Collar open. His hair co

I appeared at the t

he s

g for this moment sin

f the stairs. The photographer

ant to commit twice," he w

e my next one

led. Qui

ind enough not to ask questions. His

kolai, take

d

n't he

ra Navarro, t

g enough to make him

d

hat w

k

a thousand fake smiles from

rs. Vex

e mercy

e I wo

ko

all through th

tight. Her body was fire-but her eyes were ice. Li

ing something

she said sweetly. "You

or the crowd to hear. Th

wa

was te

letting her o

ia

a.m., heels silent, dre

ireworks from the terrace. The guards were sta

e Nikolai k

ting in his p

or. Lockpicked i

fr

fe was

scat

of it-someone I hadn

ve

ond-in-command. Alive.

betrayed me once already. "Didn't thi

ou I woul

over. "You

the p

et's fi

me a fla

unts. Routes. Weapons. Everythin

red a

what I

knife to his e

it's clean

"Encrypted.

ched

nd me-I

click of a hammer

tood in t

ra

ion unr

n't wait one nigh

move. "

p," he

nk I wouldn't recognize you? You work

u too," Riven spa

olai wa

hoed throug

d splattering acros

le

ame, like

iar

d, hear

walked t

ll in h

le. Cal

er going to s

d not

ared

ly... he reached up and remove

now the part that

N

d you. For a second. I thought

don

kno

epped

thing I lea

pped t

alked