nna

door closing echoed across the quiet courtyar

ened eyes for a fraction of a second before his

tened her skirt, regardi

tness. "Forgive me. We were just confirming some last-mi

gravel of the driveway shifting

hed back to

member the humiliation, a hot, metallic taste in my throat, when I rea

k at

before the Syndicate B

d his palm, his blood dripping onto the sacred icon of t

ere nothin

frigid g

e," I said, making sure to emphasize her low rank. "But you

arms crossed over her chest

ous that he prefers

grabbed my upper arm, his g

out ceremony towa

" he barked ov

rag me into the cavernous foyer and d

e walk-in vault where we kep

th of the room like a trapped wolf in front of the safe. "You

ainst the cold, dense

ulian. You dishonor the Family

stopped

y space, raising a hand

dropped to my hands, which w

fro

h opened

ked, his voice dropping to

d. A Capo's wife without her r

ur bathroom sink

pen the velvet jewelry boxes

tches onto the floor, the gems scatter

ed out ev

na?" he yelled, his face fl

him destro

ian?" I asked, my voice

the middle o

errible to watch, he looke

ger was comp

ff before he

ngle, crystalline moment, Julian saw himself through my eyes-and