So much meaning buried beneath those simple words. Sure, there were the obvious things—under-the-table deals, no more money laundering, no more enforcers handling business in the shadows. No more fighting, no more weapons or guns.But it wasn’t just that.It was Carlo. My mother. My brothers not by
LaylaExhaustion dragged at my limbs as I slipped through the back door of the hospital and into the expansive parking lot.The cool night air carried the faint sounds of the city—a distant siren, the hum of cars on the main road, a perpetual vibration of laughter and shouts and voices. A music all
He spat at the ground and scowled. “Crazy bitch.”One more moment’s hesitation … Then, he turned and ran.I remained in place, muscles still coiled, breathing controlled. Heartbeat steady.Only when I was certain he wasn’t coming back did I turn to the woman, still trembling on the ground behind me.
LaylaI guided the still-trembling woman out of the parking garage and into a dimly lit hallway. Even with the past year of my life taking me to some of the most remote rooms and hallways in a variety of buildings, I knew this was sketchy at best and downright terrifying at worst.“I can’t imagine w
“Do you have somewhere safe to stay?” I asked, dabbing at a tiny scrape on her knee.She hesitated just a beat too long. “Oh. Yes. I’ll be fine.”Lie. I didn’t need the slight sideways flick of her eyes or the tight smile to know. She was hardly my first victim patient.I turned away, busied my hand
AldoThe midday sun shone brightly over the bustling city square, casting long shadows over the gathered crowd. A vendor market was perhaps the furthest from standard Marcello family business we’d ever strayed, but for some reason, my heart swelled watching the sellers and shoppers mingle across the
He knew exactly who I was.“Aldo Marcello.” His teeth glinted white in the noon sunlight. “I was hoping you’d come.”My gun didn’t waver, but somehow, somehow, he knew I wouldn’t shoot him. Not here, not in this frothing, riotous crowd, not at the event I’d thrown together as a display of goodwill a
AldoI sat alone in my study, the weight of my thoughts pressing down on me like an anchor. A map of the city sprawled across my otherwise barren desktop, lit only by the fading rays of the dying sun. I was too focused, too tired, to get up and switch on a light.I couldn’t pull my attention from th
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