“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
“Hey, Layla.” I turned to offer her a soft smile. The dark lines of exhaustion beneath her eyes startled me, and I held back a wince. “You’ve been working more lately, haven’t you?”Since this pseudo-war with the Rossettis had started a week ago, I admittedly hadn’t had the time or attention for muc
LaylaIn the week since Vanessa’s attack, I’d been to visit her every day after work.I’d nestled her into a one-bedroom condo in Aldo’s safehouse, just a few blocks from the hospital. It was fully equipped and furnished, but the first night, I’d still brought back takeout.The way she’d dug in, I k
“Did you ever find a place you belonged?” I asked, resisting the urge to reach for her hand. Instead, I reached for my wine, and she mimicked the gesture.“I thought I had …” She drained the glass, and I lifted the bottle to refill it. “But I was wrong. Turned out, it was just another man who wanted
LaylaAs the weeks passed, the clinic began to take shape. We had rooms and cots. Bandages and antiseptic. Food, water, shelter. So much to offer, but the one thing we lacked were patients.“How is anybody supposed to find out about this?” Vanessa asked from the kitchen island, where she sat behind
AldoThe Marcello estate hadn’t seen a night like this in far too long. Since Layla and I had wed on this same lawn—nearly a year ago now. How had it been so long? How had time passed so quickly?And more importantly: How had we been married for so many months, yet shared so few moments like this on
I was late to Eli Marcello’s party. But I was also on the hunt, and as a cop, one of those things definitely took precedent. Eli’s party would go on for another several hours. And he’d be ten for an entire year after that.But I’d found a clue, and I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to follow it.I was
One week since I’d given the order.One week since I’d unleashed the Marcello family on the streets of New York with orders to take no prisoners.One week since I’d declared war on the Rossetti family.I sat at the head of the long table, trying to force myself to eat.The rest of the table’s occupa
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