The Mafia's Temptation

ear a

kyline blurred past, giving way to emptier streets as the car moved toward the outskirts of town. The air inside t

ing about her mother's voice, strained, urgent,caught her attention. Letty glance

Letty to pull out one of her earphones. "You're meeting with an FBI agen

exhaled heavily. "Marie, it's the right thing to do. I can't live li

ng in her eyes. "There's no out of

ing an unfamiliar turn. The streetlights became sparse, the road

ed. "Where the

er didn'

the rearview mirror, her pupils blown wid

os commanded, his

him, his grip tight

s barked, unbuckling

jerked v

ng happened i

toward a massive oak tree at full speed. Marie screamed. Santos

h

Glass shattered.

kne

_

Days

a heart monitor pull

g. The fluorescent lights above her burned too bright, making her squint. He

e wa

on a girl with vibrant red streaks in her dark

t! You're awake!" She jumped up and darted out of the r

his expression shifting from mild

before looking at her expectan

arted, but not

nd was

ce. She didn't know her nam

st something cold resting against her collarbone. A

," he said, nodding toward the necklace. "It wa

reign. Wrong. Like it b

hair stepped forward again.

ed to her,

acing when I saw you lying there. Thought you were dead at

to make sense of it all. "W

an accident. Severe head trauma caused some memory l

She didn't remember an acciden

"Don't worry, chica. You're in good h

e counter of Sugar Rush, the café-slash-bakery where Giselle worked. It had been a month since s

Giselle, who had taken her in, helped her get a job, an

m the back. "Can you do a cake delivery for me? Las

hands on her apr

cake box balanced in her hands. The sun had long set, and t

s and high-rise hotels, until she reached a quieter neighborho

umpster, laughing loudly. Their

orward. His eyes were glassy, his pupils dila

y fr

rked. "You lost

se skyr

, but the men moved

no memory of her past, but every in

the first man sneer

tried

moved beh

through the night. "I sugg

whippe

rous. His dark suit was crisp, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar. His c

n hesi

are you?" on

iberate step forward. The sheer intensity in his g

before grabbing his friend's

ered into

out a sh

turned to her

though her l

still in her hands. A smirk ghosted his lips. "A girl li

I didn't- I mean,

o his pocket, pulled out a sleek busin

d help..." His voice was sm

the card. No name.

ed up again, he was

e had a feeling their p