SHATTERED CHAINS, BOUND HEARTS

ll's cold, unyielding gaze through the tinted car window. Every instinct screamed

Richard said, his voice

toward the car, then another. The passenger door swu

g in her ears. The interior smelled of leather a

g into a faint, mocking smile. "You're brave

ena asked, her voice s

y Vivienne Blackwell, my former wife, has taken such an inte

ne measured. "Maybe she sees s

art with me. Vivienne has a knack for collecting broken things. Bu

be you should be asking why she doesn't

en yourself into, do you? The people you're dealing with-me, Vivienne-we don't play by the s

t?" Elena asked,

his tone softer but no less menacin

-

ear her apartment, and Richard

d. "But remember, this is y

but determined. She turned back to face Ric

he car sped away, leaving her st

-

rd's people had left her. She traced the edges of the image with her finge

breaking her tra

d up. "Theo and I found somet

t is

" Nathan insist

-

hum of the city outside. She sat in her office, fli

leaning against the doorway. "He picked u

up, cold fury flashing i

ats, warnings, trying to scare h

o a small smile. "Good. Sh

ting her in the line of fire, Vivienne. If

Vivienne interrupted. "I've

d. "Precautio

u'll see soon enough. Trust me, Gide

-

ver a laptop, his fingers flying across the keybo

" Elena asked as

ed part of the encrypted files we got from that war

n paying off politicians, police officers, and judges. But t

rrowed. "What d

t the names associated with those proje

name, and Elena'

squez," she

owned. "W

na said, her voi

Theo exchan

"There's something big going on here

wnfall was the result of bad luck and bad decisions. But no

-

enne received a call from an unknown number.

is

d through the line.

on the phone tig

moothly. "You've been busy, haven't you? Stirrin

," Vivienne snapped. "Not af

es, are we? I'm calling to offer you a deal, Vivienne. Wal

," Vivienne r

ard said. "But don't

nd Vivienne slammed t

between the "Special Projects" and the Vasquez family, Ele

hen opened it, h

an older woman sat bound to a chair. Her face wa

hispered, her

ace obscured. They held a sign up to the

she dropped the phone, her

jaw tightening as he watched the

" Theo asked, h

nation hardening her features. "We figh