ia

eturn to the es

ext night

nte's Consigliere ca

ut of town on urgent Synd

ver back in its cr

nd hacked into Dante's p

r left the

owed he was parked in the underground

nd set my phone down

ere perfec

as slow, calm,

sleeping under freezing bridg

d a single te

d to she

ay, Matteo visi

to the parlor carrying an o

fee table with an aw

f painful small talk,

art, Aria," he advised so

lty lies with you.

who used to take my orders without

ociates at the last banquet?" I asked, my voice a low

ile froze o

ard, his Adam'

Aria. I swear on my life i

lence for the real

roat, shifting uncomf

to stand down," h

eed to stop ta

u desire, as long as you do not cros

down to the expensive

ure on those divorce papers,"

s head sadly an

e, watching the shadows lengthen

nto the dimly

on my shoulder and begged me in

e hush money and the hollo

ack to Dante, fre

n and bleeding from illegal

over his open wounds in the cramp

from working a menia

while I was inside," he had said, p

y turn to tak

way and looked up at

to me," I stated firmly,

tates that I canno

I sat alone in the dark, my fingers

. They don't know the name

thing-and dialed a number

e silence. "It's time