silence that feels heavy in your ears. Outside, the city lights blurred into long streak

at me. He was staring out the window, his jaw set in a hard line. He looked li

ft," he said. He didn't ch

y in my lap. "In three months, Marcus Reed is going to announce a partnership wi

ere cold and sharp, like the edge of a

ean, I saw the files on his desk. But Marcus is lying to you, Alistair. He isn't building tech. He's using that partnership as a front to smuggle high-end

a very specific accusation. If you're wrong, or if you're trying to use m

my eyes. "He's been planning this for a year. He needs my inheritance to pay the bri

ut, his large hand grabbing my chin. He didn't hurt me, but hi

hole life. Why are you suddenly turning on the man you were

that Marcus had pushed me off a roof. I couldn't

don't kill his ambition now, he'll kill me later. Literally or figuratively, it doesn't matter. I wan

dn't look away. I didn't blink. I let him see e

in. He leaned back and let

voice low. "People say it's cursed. They say whoever

in," I said. "Marcus made his whe

nto the port deal. If I find even a grain of truth in what you said, I'll give you the protection you want. But understand this:

said imm

t. Alistair didn't get out to open the door for me. H

andle. "That emerald stone... the one I overpaid for

mall velvet box was

ul, but it's heavy. If you aren't strong enough to ca

it weighed a hundred pounds. "I'

ee," he

the night. I stood on the sidewalk, clutching the "cursed" emera

uilding, I saw a familiar figure sitti

he looked like he w