lence cut her s

silence, the way all those wh

'd reacted. It swirled in his whiskey, a sharp gaze flickering between Rafael an

s pulse

lazar had just ste

as- how violent wou

g along the rim of his glass, a stillne

ca the most dangerous - he nev

s, he just tilted

harp, dea

lk. "You are very, very vocal for a man w

azar's lips falt

n the roo

spoken, the power struggle tak

't just a

s about

monstrating he st

s up in faux surrender. "No offen

't waver. "Men die 

able was sil

raising his glass in surre

Valeria could read it in h

uca was ne

gerou

ersation picking back up around th

sn't s

't a norm

was a

piece that every

at this table by accident

didn't kn

w

ed her glass, tasting her wine as she c

eal p

w who in this room wanted Rafael dead, who

going to get away, sh

ong

rut

little toward Rafael. "Interesting

dancing in his green eyes.

mine?" she a

his lips to graze her ear. "

omach

he always appea

not going to

he could

irst

rsation, business deals and subtle power p

g that was clear-*this

as the king

stood and held o

hesi

 him, to defy him,

wasn't

e too

rd, possessive, as he guided

ind them, Valeria let her breat

stop walking

r hand free.

at her, his expression unr

"By exhibiting me before y

my space. "No, Valeria. By demon

was pounding

ucha

ther this was a war

And if I care to not

Then you better be strong

an down h

sn't, she wasn

t

ce of D

 not sleep

r every word she had said, ever

ters made

eak

ay

rverse act of prayer

nock on

eart hammerin

crack and a shad

tt

walked closer. "You left

not like I was real

ished a folded note

ath caught. "

ded it

eyes glancing over the b

nt to survive, meet me at the gr

omach

Matteo. "Who ga

I don't know. It was

lse po

warning? A

idn't

had to f

arkened. "If Ra

t," she

t time since arrivin

as going

ht Rec

o be as quiet as possible, her bare feet

er that day, she had learned th

loser to an unc

wasn't

e reached the greenhouse

ceiling, bathing her in light, as sh

n she s

e shadows like he had a

rt pounded. "

features coming into sharper

blood

ew tha

it before -

ers. In

once been Rafael

o had betr

You can call

s stomac

she knew

the man who'd tri

f her, giving her what she'd thought

ay