into the in

her, his eyes darting anywhere but at us. He looked

ced one wife and married anothe

ack rigid, a spine of st

t to Lola, ho

b over his knuckles in a

ase, Elena," Dante said, sli

iver for the

xpedite the ma

ush, Dante

ce was

nded hollow, eve

linc

. "The baby comes in two months. I want him born legitimate.

tightening. "For th

ays *for t

rders, the extortion, the late

a sound like b

e king," she said, beamin

ed at

ears in

uinely believed this

is child prove

up the

, his hand shootin

fr

in was

eacherous second, I thought

dge the eight years we spent build

for the ulcer I developed brokering

leading. "Don't make this ha

eezed

e me when we were in university, wh

ppy do

en Boy o

he was the

for a son outweighed

d my ha

eeling off a r

choice eith

ed the

pen was the only

a breath he ha

ged her, burying his face

" he whispe

ed the m

lked to the floor

t the tiny people moving like

monsters lived in the