crunched over brok

ipped from somewhere overhead-steady, maddening, the sound of a building surrendering to entropy. He scanned the sha

lights hit the

lare in his mirrors. The light was violent, invasi

heard th

iron emerged from the blackness of the structure's depths, headlights dimming a

opened

nct screaming at him to reverse, to flee, to get her away fro

already

oward the Bugatti with the stride of a woman approaching a familiar appointment, her silk

-wing do

e. The flushed cheeks, the locked jaw, the performance of wounded pride-all of it had e

t away. He bowed his head, a gesture that

id. "You were in

or her. Evelyn turned, let him settle it over her shoulders. The

e," she said. "The third r

Street expects spectacle. If I'd been restrained, they'd have suspected c

ds were numb

her a bottle of cold-pressed juice from the center console's refrigerated compart

it withou

woke the dashboard screen. NASDAQ data

"Brock Group's getting slaught

rankie had collected her from JFK that morning, some

smile that in

ed

ons on the same theme: Brock Family Deception Exposed, Peck Group Victim of Fraudulent Merger Attempt.

in the cupholder. "

rea

ng in her eyes that made Fitz's hand freeze on the touchscreen. "Let the

hey understand what you are-they won't play by the rules. Private

seats seemed to compress, to become charged with

ely above a whisper. "Do you im

that stripped away their familiar address. Fitz's face went

. It'll be o

ality undergoing fundamental revision. They weren't enemies. They were-what? Partners? Conspirators?

i's window

ace between vehicles. "Return to Fifth Avenue. Tell the

atic, grateful. His h

Fra

, Mi

The streets are

le. The warnin

. The ramp up to street level seemed longer than the

pths, Fitz restarted

ked. "Fifth Avenue

d a pattern on the window, followin

ates. Fitz recognized the format-longitude

ightened on

loud. The old estate. The place where Hermina Castro had been found ten years ago, hanging fro

nd accelerated toward the tunnel that would take them under the East River

nd found her left wrist, fingers moving over skin in a gesture that Fitz had seen

atti at

old bruises, and the city they left