Talle

crescendo that signaled t

sat ensconced on a velvet throne, watc

interce

s tight around the stem. Her eyes were br

d their wives, Jana lunged forward,

nt of my red dress, leaving a da

na shrieked, dr

floor with a violent crash.

went deat

and brushed against the broken glass, and she cried out in pain.

In my past life, I would have stammered,

od still, look

voice devoid of warmth. "Yo

didn't look at the spilled win

he saw an opportunity

nor shouted, his voice boomin

lder and spun me a

thing, and you treat her like

," I said calmly. "Ask the

rative. He cared about breaking me down publicly so that no on

lie t

d faster than

nt silent. The impact was less a sound and more a sudde

e. A dull, throbbing ache

room sucked the ai

ffense. Striking a woman under the Don's protec

He was the heir. He banked on

d back to face him. My cheek throbbed

n violence, or perhaps by the fact that I h

nounced, loud enough for the Don to h

ysterical.

you claim to value, Connor

it before the i

eaning in close. "I can take everything from you. I ca

ed pas

seemed to detach themselves from the wall.

of respect this time, bu

s stepped in

a monolith of a man. A scar ran through hi

Connor. He didn'

ked with lethal focus on the