***The plan was simple enough.Dmitri’s men would infiltrate the factory ahead of time—in the stealthiest way possible. No one would realize he was there, and his men would hide themselves in secure locations.Mine would surround the area, cutting off any possible escape routes.Layla would be take
LaylaMarco’s factory loomed in the distance, its hulking silhouette black against the faded night sky of the never-dark city. The SUV’s tinted windows blocked out much of the glow spilling from the behemoth building’s security floodlights, but that almost made it feel more eerie.The air inside the
LaylaThe battle was a blur of sound and movement around me. Aldo and Dmitri’s hidden forces sprang into action around the warehouse, and the result was a constant echo of gunfire and shouting, men darting across open spaces as they ran from cover point to cover point.Gun in my hand, I couldn’t fin
AldoNews of the victory at the factory didn’t just spread verbally through the city—peace washed through it like a wave. Neighborhoods and parks that had once been the sight of nightly altercations now slept silently once more. The streets had cleared of bullet casings and debris.Even the Orlov vi
“Does it matter anymore?” I asked, sliding out a chair. I sat across from her, folded my hands on the wooden tabletop. “Whether or not I have the willpower to kill you?”Her smile faltered, and for a brief moment, something like regret flashed through her eyes. But quickly enough, she reined it in,
AldoI watched from beside the car as my men escorted Aurora from the safe house and down the driveway. She was silent, shoulders cowed. Eyes staring vacant into space. Like she’d lost her will to fight.She looked so small, so unassuming. Like the loss of this war had robbed her of so much more tha
LaylaEerie quiet filled the days and weeks after Aurora’s banishment—like waking up from a dream. For so long, life had been a constant go-go-go of tension, motion, action. Of plans whispered in hushed tones, buzzing phones interrupting dinners, the echo of gunfire in the distance.Of fear and hear
AldoThe months following the war were spent rebuilding the city it had destroyed in so many ways. Physically, so much of it had been tarnished and ruined. Its infrastructure was tentative at best—corruption running rampant through the ranks of the government and the police.And its people were stil
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