ella

y new Bergdorf Goodman white suit felt like a second skin, a razor-sharp contrast to the shadows I was about to

d the in

zio, the majordomo. Decades of serving the Mel

en o'clock appointm

in nobodies," Fabrizio sneered. "Leave before I send

ne wen

out my modified phone. Fabrizio's arrogance was the perfect

urity grid was state-of-the-art, which meant it was

gh the iron bars, I watched three patrolling *Soldiers* in bespoke su

vorite aria of the Conti family's old *Don*. A calculated insult. The operatic tenor blasted at

ltoni's private, heavily encrypted terminal. I attached a thermal image of

ng, Don Meltoni. So is y

t se

abruptly cut off. The heavy iron gat

o my pocket and walked

waiting at the massive front doors. He didn't say a word, but his hand hover

e heavy oak doors

er, and expensive whiskey. A fire roared in the massive hea

t' Meltoni stoo

ed to lethal perfection, and eyes the color of a violent storm. He didn't loo

s a low, gravelly command that

t the sheer weight of his autho

the room

e weapon. His large, calloused hand clamped around my jaw, his fingers digging into my skin

red, his breath smelling of mint and dark liquor. Th

link. I let the ice in my vei

ead, even calm, "and your grand

ip on my face tightened

softly, "shall we t

into something else-a dark, calculating intrigue. A woman with nothing h

He took a single step back, his eyes rakin