fina

ate was transformed into a gilded

ght over the crowd of corrupt politicians, rival

k in a simple black dress,

rfectly straight,

owing the ancient Cosa Nostra protoc

ing exactly ten million dolla

announced, my voice steady and carryin

in the crowd r

ew my h

rossing the Moretti Famiglia, e

y lips, ready to drink

ch my mouth, the double door

splay of hysterics. "Do not do this! Do not steal the Famiglia's funds to buy you

ss that screamed of new money

n, this time in absol

dark presence immediately sucki

owd and marched directly up t

his movement, his hand

ke a gunshot in th

glass slipping from my numb finger

ry?" Cassio snarled, stepping into my space, hi

d blood

eautifully into her hands, peeking thr

I said quietly, refusing

me, his jaw c

suit and pulled out a matte

the podium next

d to the room, his tone leaving no room for d

asp rippled th

against my ribs l

rapping

his hell just to punish me f

ind my neck and unclasped the heavy diamo

Romano fami

hing I had left o

voice shaking with suppressed emotion as the jewels c

cklace, recognizing its

ticked in

locking onto mine. "Kneel, Serafina. Kneel and pledge your

lion was i

r two years j

es along my collarbone to the Don who now stood befor

d, my voice ringing clear and loud

s brow furrowing i

ll is that?"

p to the podium, her

d at Cassio, the undisput

an aerial silk routine suspended from a helicopter over the harbor. No harness. If she survives the

io f

uddenly filled with a terrifying realiz

s. "I know the Syndicate already has the chopper fueled and the silks rigged on the helipad f

dded sharply, signaling her men

nymous betting pools instantly filled the twenty-mi

his black card

he thick plastic snapped

onto the pristine

grabbing her by the collar and nearly lifting her off

her head

Rosa cried out. "She fun

r-to-ceiling windows, bathing the room in re

dropp

panic finally fracturing the

elipad, the cold night wind wh

nging from the helicopter hoveri

ric around my wrists and ascend

paralyzed with a sudden, overwhelming fe

lamped down on

e allied Famiglia, stepped up bes

t me as I climbed h

. "I wanted to see the sister-in-law who bravely stormed the Chicag

elieved-every lie Camilla had fed him, every accusation he had hurled at his wife-was crumblin