eat in her ears a

ago M

sent a shiver

ight hand before turning on him. One that was a ghost in the underwo

front of her, like he h

, held her face still,

ve enough to meet her in secret,

ad a

hether she was the paw

antiago said, his smi

her mouth dry. "You

ere I am." He took a slow step forward. "There's

g her. She'd met men like this before - calcul

Rafael, but Santiago was a diffe

who had not

ade him a

reful. "You wanted me here. So why

ment before letting out

sts. "I'm not serious,

tep closer to her. "Because I did

the entrance, the glass doors yawni

t think about t

ad to

ing her with muted amusement. "

sank into her pa

pened. "Once

him," she said, her voice a bright but unst

and humorless. "Is th

. "Isn't it

tepped closer. "The truth

here tossed it around as if its meaning m

wa

anym

ith Rafael," she said frostily. "If y

ly sighing. "Fine. I'll make this simple." He l

eath h

ca

 had been fightin

told her it wouldn

ed. "Why would

DeLuca is just too powerful. Too comfortable. And you..." Hi

s stomac

away from Rafael that she never thought of what s

simply a cap

s a we

, weaknesses'd grown m

ly. "And what do

obvious?" He leaned forward with his

st of

s heart

was

hoi

eal

been pulled into this nightmare,

d she tr

Morales w

t simply about

as abo

t re

h him, she wouldn'

walking int

self to think.

ur plan?"

nel below this estate. And one Rafael doesn't know about. If you

a hesi

nded t

perf

refuse?"

never let go of you. But I'll tell you for free, princesa. " He leaned in, lowering

s stomac

eady kn

also known s

the only dange

her to think h

didn't save p

used

eath to keep herself

rked. "Of co

is pocket. "I'll let you have twenty-f

e accepting the phone, 

s, something unreadable

he said. "Because you may not

turned and vanishe

re, the burden of her choice

Between

inning, she walked

d a wa

l way

t wha

ngerous. Rafael

scapably stuck

Rafael wou

, she would

ded mor

infor

con

tered her room and leaned against it, ga

twenty-f

had to

sacrifice it all fo

hat she could outl

art po

he knew the t

ip and do her own thing, or she could obey the orde

ver going