ra

ent and shoved me into the back of a black SUV without a word. The city lights b

Moretti yacht bobbed in the black, churning water. An

chair. A gag was stuffed in her

the dim lights of the distant city-the devil

," he said, his voice deceptiv

alking about," I choked out

ved it in my face. On the screen, a string of text messages gleamed. Sent

ped her out of jealousy." He leaned in closer, his breath hot against my ear.

nded like a p

e. I swear." My pleas

named Rocco. Rocco and another soldier untied my mother from

ard, but two soldiers grabbed

her heart... s

art talking," he said

grunt, heaved it over the side of the yacht. It hit the

ound tearing from my throat. I could see the sack disa

ression unreadable. He wa

a confession to a crime I didn't c

ker of relief crossing his face. "Found? Wher

d to his men. "Let's

backward glance. They didn't cut the rope. They just le

hrough me. I scrambled onto the yacht, found a knife in a u

vise grip on my lungs, but I kicked frantically, my hands searching in the dark. My fingers b

dead weight out of the water. She was

esperate. As I pressed on her chest, one thought burned with terrifying

coughed up a lungful of wate

spoken rule in Dante's world. A code. You don't call outsiders. You handl

ke th

hen the operator answered. "