Kiss Me While The World Burns

ing instantly into a deadly serious registe

the scarred mahogany desk. "A device compact enough to fit inside a briefcase, but powerful enough to fry the entire power grid and

y clearing his head instantly. "Do I look like someone who manufactures heavy hardware,

ned Soviet-era activation matrix went missing from a black site in Naples. My people secured the hardware. What we don't have is the bypassed cryptographic key. The previ

is onyx gaze traced her petite features-the striking silver-gray o

a legitimate corporate proposal," he murmu

im pour a generous measure of dark red wine into a crystal glass. "You

ered across the dark wood were high-resolution photographs of his classified blueprints, signed black-ma

brating in his chest. Yet, beneath the sudden flash of anger, a spark of abs

s his handsome face. "Do you still need more evidence? I can have Kan

lips. "You know, I never anticipated a Tuesday like this. You barge into my headquarters, terrorize my executive staff with a tactica

She took a slow, deliberate sip of the vintage red, her gray eyes darkening to the color of a winter storm. "Now, back to business. Buil

een was entirely gone, replaced by the terrifying, mal

ck casually in his leather swivel chair, slowly twirling the remai

a deafening crack shattere

to a thousand glittering shards. He sat perfectly sti

hand, wisps of gray smoke curling from the barrel. She hadn't missed; she

lvatore. It's a promis

tting it down on his desk before turning sharply on her heel. Kany inst

"Friday night. Nine o'clock. Helms Cove. Show up with the prototype

shut, leaving a heavy, suff

ched Victoria and her armed vanguard disappear into the VIP elevator bank. Throughout the enti

orities?" Sullivan, a pale-faced developer with giant, oversized

ntly morphed into pure, unadulterated fury. He lunged forw

ate on those tactical vests?" he thundered, his face flushing red. He glanced down at the developer's name tag and hissed, "If

t of the floor. His anger skyrocketed when he spotted a junior reception

on letter," he barked. Without waiting for a response, he sprin

he lift!" Sullivan

out on his floor!" Bruce shouted back, his footsteps echoin

suite, the heavy maho

he want a hostile takeover? Shares? Intellectual property? We are a

into a chair, his face slick with swe

ruce?" Giordano asked, his voic

oria had left behind on his desk. He reached down, idly picking up a sharp, splintered

s pocket, wiped his face clean of sweat, and adjusted his tailored suit jacket. The panicked

essional register. "How did she obtain that data? I thought the Naples t

smile spreading across his lips. "Someone leaked an internal file to her, and she's pulling every t

loor-to-ceiling glass window overl

ts. If she managed to dig up the Naples files, I want to ensure s

ing to execute the order. However, he f

dark, possessive, and deeply calculating as he twirled the heavy black fountain pen between his fingers. "And Bruce? Prepare a bouquet of custom,