the street from St. Patrick

last, but her hands were freezing. She unbuttoned

k silk shirt and a pai

coming down in sheets, flooding the gutters. Pedestrians

to her ear. The wire

minutes out," Rose's

panded against the thin silk. She rea

instantly. It felt like a thousand tiny needles piercing he

like a second layer, turning translucent. The cold made her nipples harden painfull

to shiver violently. She stood near the stone pillars of the cathedral courtyar

e rain. They pulled smoothly into the VIP drop-

s. They popped open massive black umbrellas, cre

the middle P

charcoal suit today. His face

ed it pe

retending she was just trying to find shelter. She

et her momentum carry her too fast. Her foot slipped on t

sharp edge of the marble. The skin tore. A s

cut through the noise of the rain. He tu

ain washed over her face. She looked up, h

eyes l

act second his pupils contracted.

opped. It dragged slowly, deliberately,

ng made the display impossible to ignore. The contrast between her innoc

turning entirely black. The boredom was gone. He looked

ing next to Leo, stepped forward. "

dn't look at Conrad. He ke

eather shoe splashed into a puddle. The physica

stay. If he touched her

her arms tightly around her chest to cover herself. She pus

canvas bag lying

subway entrance down the block, dis

idn't order his men to chase

nvas bag by his feet. A slow, d

ing," he

d walked int

ll. Water dripped from her hair onto the concrete. She touched h