George Black spoke into the microphone sewn into the neck of his shirt. “White Wolf and company have been secured. Has the target been apprehended?” There was silence as George Black listened to his earpiece. “Very good,” he said. “White Wolf and company on the move.” He turned his a
The sniper was tight-lipped. Even under interrogation, he refused to budge, not answering a single question, let alone telling the police whom he served. There was nothing that they could offer him, not protection or leniency, that would get him to talk. Fortunately, the tattoo on his neck gave
The day after Bianchi was arrested, Andrew and I ate dinner at the mansion. We had pot roast, steamed carrots and broccoli, and pumpkin pie to celebrate the crime boss’s imprisonment. With Bianchi off the streets—at least until his trial—I could breathe a sigh of relief. Mostly. There was st
I hated lying to Andrew, but he left me with no choice. I needed to get Bob behind bars immediately. This case was the case to do that, and Noah was the man to help me. I just prayed to the Moon Goddess that Andrew would be able to forgive me. I could not give that much thought as I sat at a
I went straight to the mansion after lunch. I did not even bother to stop by my apartment to drop off the flowers. In the back of my mind, I knew that I should not bring them into Andrew’s home, but I was so furious at Andrew that I did not care. As I entered the mansion, Parker eyed the roses i
I awoke the next morning alone in Andrew’s bed. I sighed and rubbed my eyes. With the nightmares constantly waking me up and Andrew being in no condition to comfort me, I had slept horribly. With a good, long stretch, I climbed out of bed and slipped on my robe. I reluctantly dragged my bare fee
Later that week, I worked on the books for Ever After Weddings at my apartment. Surrounded by paperwork, checks, ledgers, and my laptop, I was alone except for Jeffrey, who was doing his rounds while looking out the windows. I had just finished entering the last deposit into the spreadsheet when an
We didn’t have to wait long for an opportunity to talk to Lisa. A couple days after I brought the issue up to Andrew, Lisa was scheduled to have her final dress fitting at Ever After Weddings. Andrew and I decided that we should both be there—him as her father and me as the official wedding planner—
That night, long after the last of the guests had left for their rooms, Andrew and I returned to the presidential suite to find that the staff had decorated it in preparation for our stay. All the décor, right down to the bed sheets, had been switched out for matching red and gold pieces. The light
Andrew’s eyes met mine as I approached the altar. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. He looked so handsome in his classic black tuxedo that I could hardly wait for after the reception to be with him. As I took my place across from Andrew, I handed my bouquet to Lily. The priestess bega
One month later, I stood in a suite at a private beachside resort, admiring my wedding dress. It hugged my curves in all the right places while still gently brushing against the ground like a low-hanging cloud. Crystals glistened in the room’s fluorescent lights, and the train flowed behind me effor
“Let’s continue this in the bedroom,” I said, breathless. Andrew nodded his agreement. I pulled Andrew to his feet as he stuck the ring box back in his pocket. Then I dragged him back to the bedroom, leading him by the tie. Not that he needed to be dragged; he would have followed me anywhere by th
Andrew texted me and said his flight was delayed by a few errands he had to run, so I waited. And waited. I waited for an entire day, and even began to worry that Andrew had changed his mind. Then I heard a knock at my door. I leapt off the couch and rushed to answer it. Stopping just short of the
Noah left the next day. I took him to the airport, we exchanged a hug and a brief farewell, and then I watched him walk through the gate. That was the last time I ever saw him. With a heavy heart, I returned to an empty apartment. All our furniture and my belongings—what little I still had—were the
Sensing the urgency in Noah’s voice, I leaned in closer. “What is it?” I asked, trying to suppress the anticipation in my voice. Noah’s grip on my hands tightened. “I’m going to study financial law in the human world.” I froze. My heart thumped hard against my ribs, so hard that I thought th
The nightmares did not stop. In fact, they got worse. By the end of that week, I was having at least one every night, and it was showing in behavior during the day. I could scarcely stay awake. At my new branch of Ever After Weddings, I had to sneak off into the breakroom whenever there were no cu
I dreamt of the Lunar Festival. Noah and I walked hand-in-hand through the stalls, enjoying the sparkling lights and the company of our new pack mates. Yet something was off. I could feel a chill in the air, a foreboding that I could not quite shake off. “We should get out of here,” I said, tryi