an

asted like ab

g city below. It belonged to me. The Miller territory had been fully integrated, the old guard was

left little to the imagination. She perched on the edge of the

voice dripping with a superficial sweetn

, though the knot of unease i

ad been too clean. The police report had bee

ence. Leo entered, his face

ed, annoyed by

was holding a cream-colored envelope. "In her je

ng was unmistakably Ava's-elegant, lo

uldn't live without me, the despair of a woman scorned. Pathetic. It was exactl

snagged on t

h wind r

attering against the hardwood floor. Amber liqu

asked, startled, j

The air had been suc

phr

ying in the overgrown garden of the estate. I had told her the north w

this befor

pered, the blood

hed for my arm, her

ing the stack of papers of

g her eyes, and fled the room without look

, my voice trembling with a

We saw the body. The

slammed my fist onto the desk, the woo

he cor

ace the room, a caged animal. "She knows,

slowly, trying to talk me down

one

ordered my men to dig up the crash site again.

n't shake t

nch coat vanishing around a corner. A reflection

The whiskey became

noticed

er I snapped at a lieutenant during a sit-down.

yelled, my eyes wild. "I

e investigators to track down anyone Ava might have co

e had simpl

ined about the lack of attentio

girl!" she screamed one nig

es, grabbing her by the throat

ever say

y she clawed at my wrist. It didn't make

id to the floor, cough

n," she rasped, tears s

e I

It had been locked. My security was top-t

resting perfectly on the leathe

dstock. Simple,

ix Ho

ts & Acqu

nancial district. And a handwritte

ur Cayma

hol. I scrambled to my computer, fingers fumbling as I

e

ion doll

smashing the keyboa

un drawn, scann

led, holding up the card with a trembling ha

is

card, the red

ed, a chill settling deep in my