Rising From Ash: The Mafia Queen Returns

na

s between the agonizing spikes in my lower back, when

sn't

o of his

ir rather than making eye contact. "The Don has o

chest, sharper th

from the nightstand-a reflex, a shield-before

a reques

oved f

eized

was firm,

ing more t

etraying me under the

me into the ha

nt

the corridor, a dark silhoue

nd, our ey

past-that scent of cedar and

oward him withou

hetic, biolo

,* my he

* my brain

them t

to be

to use

he clinic, I could

get to t

, white, and smelled o

me on an exam

walk

rink, the air suddenl

really looked a

weating,"

er cooler, filled a paper

it to

ri

ers brus

ss was sudde

s a w

d, taking a sip, the cool liq

h to speak, his ey

nt, the ma

man I ha

larms star

e hallway, bathing us in

he doorway. "It's Vanessa! Sh

e fr

oked

ooked at

s no hes

was no

ned an

leaving the water cup

an t

ppear, and something in

thread

ast t

o

ion ripped through me, steal

s danced i

in, flustered, loo

weat from his brow. "The Don took the senior

ned to m

cked m

d my

muscles, hidin

bbling on a pad. "Severe ex

check my

life fighting to

about the Don's wra

rcing urgency into my voice. "And I need to s

inked, disori

nless you want to tell

octor

no. H

d me a c

divorce agreement, the waiver of rig

gned

na R

e blood against th

liding off the table, ignoring the p

, you reall

utting him off. "Do you really th

tor fel

w the

out of th

down, washing away th

e mailbox on the co

the e

was my

as the e

pped

s the sound of a g

e," I whispere

r kingdom. I'm ta