was a place where Washington's elite quietly liquidated assets. She didn't bother with pleasantries. She upended
est..." The man squinted through his loupe. "All together, nine h
m her own wrist, a gift from Carlee's father years ago, and added it to the pile. That, plus a wire transfer from her o
afé in Dupont Circle. A cup of black coffee sat untouched in fro
ite her, a grin on his face. "Showt
white envelope across t
osity. "Aren't you even a little interested in the backstory? Me and C
nterested in people's private lives," she said
of powerful people, but they were all messy, emotional, an
the thick stack of hundred-dollar bills inside. Five t
ous. "And big games require more than one player." He met her gaze directly. "Carlee Ro
handle
he Romans. Their business. Their enemies. I could be useful." He offered a charming, roguish smile. "I don'
tly what he was: an opportunist, smart enough to recognize a rising power a
lly," she said, he
uickly. "Okay. Fair enough." He shrugged. "But it's bett
l. You earned it
Or insurance. When Carlee decides to get revenge on me for my pa
his minor acting career out of pure spite. Genevieve slid the envelope back, o
ut of D.C. Go to L.A. Go to New York. The farther
her eyes, and knew there was no point in
n in his voice. "I won't forget the name. If you ever n
watched him go, then allowed herself a small, qu
brated on the table. A text from an unknown number. She glanced at it, expectin
ice of Senator Dickson Hayes. We are contacting you regarding a delicate matt
s with power and old money for generations. The same name she had carried her entire
me were they co
emory surfaced, sharp and clear: her mother, sitting at the
when we adopted you. It was the name on your original birth documents, the only
abruptly, leaving the coffee untouched, her mind reeling. The war with Jaycob and Carlee suddenly seemed like a small, pet
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