Aldo Morning sunshine streamed through the expansive arched windows of the formal dining room, bathing the sprawling dining table in a warm glow. The scent of fresh-brewed coffee and just-out-of-the-oven pastries wafted through the air from the kitchen. An utterly idyllic scene, truly. And frankly
“Guess those days are over,” I admitted. Our elder brothers, ironically enough, had gone down together—off a winding mountain road and into a river that left nothing but the ruined car behind. “We got more about Marco’s connections to the Moretti family.” Carlo, in spite of his earlier words, did r
Layla The warm, heavy scents of garlic and thyme filled the kitchen as I tossed vegetables on the sizzling skillet. Normally, cooking calmed me—because it was such a safe, domestic contrast to the high-octane pace of hospital life. But my mind was far from settled; I’d stopped seeing the browning z
For Aldo to have attacked Marco, beaten him so badly … No. There was more there. I’d written it off as spite or vengeance or scorn. But Vasco wasn’t like that. Aldo wasn’t like that. My voice came out smooth, a little cold. “Protection from what, Marco? This is my home. My son is here. What’s going
Layla The low hum of the engine filled the empty spaces of the vast luxury car. I’d taken the middle seat, and Eli nestled in beside me. Our hands folded into our laps, bound in zip ties tight enough to cut skin. Though he pressed against my side, Eli didn’t cry, didn’t whimper, didn’t tremble. H
Neither Eli nor I uttered a peep of protest as we slid over the shining hardwood floors to sit behind a carved wooden coffee table. My own hard face reflected back at me from the silent TV—pale, frightened, determined. A woman who’d fight to protect the tiny boy at her side. With the sun still a
Aldo Waves crashed faintly against the hull of the luxury yacht. The sound might once have soothed me—a signal of escape, of the open ocean surrounding me. Except this time, I wasn’t on the boat. I stood at the end of the long, lightly bobbing dock, staring out over the marina. “Give me good news,
*** I didn’t bother with formalities like asking the doorman to buzz me up. Carlo and I marched through the door and into the lobby of Marco’s building like we owned the place—and with our guns drawn, we essentially did. The guard was quite eager to disclose Marco’s information with my pistol an i
The estate bustled with movement: Marcello men arming themselves, strategizing, talking shit, waving proverbial fists at the enemy, posturing, preparing for war … All the things men did. But still, they awaited my command.I stood at the head of the table in the grand dining room, where a makeshift
Fear.Shit.“Where is he?” I demanded.Carlo jerked his head toward a nearby room. “The doctors are with him now. It was bad, Layla. The explosion took out half the building. We were lucky to get him out alive.”I nudged past him and into the room.Aldo lay on the hospital bed, his face pale, a deep
LaylaAldo had missed another dinner.Or, rather, he was in the process of missing it. I sat at the head of the long dining table, where he’d normally sit; for some reason it felt wrong to leave it vacant. Beside me, Eli pushed food around his plate with his fork, and on his other side, Vanessa lean
EthanI, once again, found myself at the precinct long after the rest of my desk-mates and cohorts had vacated for the night. I mean, the police precinct was never truly empty—it was New York City, so the place was always hopping—but the difference between day shift and night shift was, well. Night
EthanI got to the coffee shop far earlier than was necessary—close to an hour before Vanessa and I had decided to meet—and proceeded to sulk in the corner like a loser, downing coffee.I’d long since stopped smelling the fresh-baked goods layered behind the glass counter, and I was far too nervous
“But I’m funny and charming,” Ethan said, with a smile that was indeed quite charming. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you for not being able to resist.”I groaned, trying very hard not to smile myself. “This is the worst flirting I’ve ever seen.”“It’s not flirting!” Ethan protested, lifting his hands in
Layla“Just talk to him,” I insisted, giving Vanessa’s hand another little tug towards the door of Ethan’s clinic room. It’d been three days since the attack, and he was just about recovered at this point. “You’ll see he’s not a bad guy.”After I’d all but written Ethan out of my life, I couldn’t fo
So, I wondered, which of those secrets had made him Rossetti’s target?And how has Rossetti learned them?I turned in my seat to regard Ethan. He met my gaze like he knew I was about to ask something of dire importance and seriousness. “How did he know?”Ethan’s dark eyes blinked against the pain.“
AldoThe call came late at night, shattering the fragile quiet that had settled over the Marcello estate. My phone buzzed on the nightstand, jarring me from a restless sleep. Instantly awake, I reached for the warbling device. Pressed it to my ear. “Marcello.”“There’s been an attack,” came the low