Chapter 2

Adrianna’s POV

Present day

“Orange suits you so well,” I say pleasantly. I am speaking into the receiver suspended from the opposite side of the glass that separates prisoner and visitor. Lance is on the other side. There is a bored look on his face. He isn't as angry as I expected. He looks almost disappointed. Almost like he expected more from me. Even in the uniform, he still looks dignified and lethal. He is one of those people who can rule over their surroundings simply by being there.

This isn't what I want. I want him angry and seething like a caged tiger. I want to feel his anger. I want the satisfaction of riling him up and knowing he can't do anything. I want to see him suffer. I don't have the stomach to murder him myself, but I can destroy him from within before he is killed. I got Howard’s assurance that the Lance won't leave this prison alive.

Because of that, I only got enough evidence to have him arrested for the murder of his uncle, Marco, the previous boss of the syndicate. He hasn’t been tried yet, but that doesn't matter.

He’ll be dead before sunrise.

“And here I thought blue suited me better.” He drawled. “Why are you here?”

“To see you locked up behind bars.” I say haughtily, tapping the glass dividing us.” With no hope of escape.”

“For a “murder” charge that was most certainly self-defense?” He asks. “Damn. That's disappointing. Here I was thinking you'd get me arrested for something more exciting. Give my lawyers a bit of a challenge.”

I lean in. “Don't worry. I’ll make sure you die in here.”

He nods. “That's a lot of lofty words coming from someone who can't even get her revenge done correctly

I move to put the receiver down but his voice stops me cold. “I’ll have to...take care of you though. Pity.”

A chill runs down my spine. I know he can't get me, but that doesn't stop my heart from pounding.

“Excuse me?”

“You put me in jail.” He says coldly, folding his arms across his chest. “You betrayed me. What sort of boss would I be if I didn’t return your actions with interest? Think about it this way, I’ll teach you how to take revenge on others. If you can survive my...training, then we'll see how well you do next time.”

“Focus on getting yourself out of jail,” I say with a scoff, putting down the receiver and standing. I am about to walk away when my phone rings. It is Brooks, Howard’s bodyguard.

“Brooks...”

“A bomb went off in the office, Adrianna.” He says in a rush. “Howard’s dead.”

My blood roars in my ears and I feel dizzy. I blink to dispel the nausea, trying hard not to think. I cannot imagine Howard being blown to pieces. I look at Lance. He is sitting calmly in the chair, a knowing smile gracing his lips. This is it. The first stage of his revenge. This is proof of his ruthlessness.

Killing Howard is not a warning.

It's the first class in this twisted lesson in revenge he's got going on.

I stare at the coffin being lowered to the ground with a weird sense of detachment. I still can’t believe that it’s Howard being buried there.

Howard was my benefactor. He adopted Victoria and me when we had nothing. When we were nothing but little girls at an orphanage. He protected and schooled us and asked for nothing in return. He kept us as far away from crime as he possibly could, probably in hopes that we wouldn’t get into danger when we grew up.

My eyes are dry and sore. The Louis Vuitton glasses can only hide so much of the redness and puffiness from my eyes. I wrap my headscarf tighter around my neck as though that could help me escape from reality.

I was alone. With Lance on my trail.

I had requested for security to be tightened and Howard’s family had agreed to do that. Lance isn’t stupid enough to hurt me here. He can’t even get in. I hold on to that knowledge like a shield.

I nod and shake the hands of those wishing me condolences. His friends, family, and business partners. I feel guilty to them. All this wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been so dogged about getting back at Lance. With the preparations for the funeral and having to push my engagement to a later date, I haven’t had time—or honestly, the will—to find out if Lance

Did get killed that night. News about him has been non-existent, so I imagine he has been killed.

Soon, the whole place is emptied and I am alone once more, standing underneath the sunset. I want a drink to drown out the pain and hopelessness I feel, but I feel like too much of an intruder to do that.

“Miss Houston?” I hear a voice I recognize as Brooks’ say beside me. I look at him. Brooks is a bit old. He is an Olympic sharpshooter that Howard had recruited. He has a bit of a piratical look about him, with a scar running down the side of his rugged face.

He has flowers in his hands. The bouquet looks genuinely heavy. It is a bouquet of fragrant white lilies. They must be from a business partner who couldn’t make it.

“This was left at the doorstep of your apartment.”He says.“Perhaps I should dispose of it...?”

I shake my head and smile. I am sure I can handle it. A dead man can't hurt me and a mere bunch of flowers is nothing to make a fuss about.

There is a small envelope tucked discreetly in the bouquet. I pluck it out. It is black with gold letters spelling out the words “my condolences” on it. I rip the envelope open and there is a picture in it. I turn the picture over to look at it and my body goes cold.

In the picture, I am standing at Howard’s grave and placing a bouquet on it. It is taken through the reticle of a sniper. Aimed directly at my forehead.