The Glass Rose

Valen

of people who walk into

esper

the

lm, though every muscle in my bo

ds didn

d stan

ated, but

ard like he owned it, hood low, mask half-shadowing his fa

, gun still in her hand

ot real,"

huckled.

" she wh

look like him. E

. "How the hell

o's supposed to be good at answers, Valent

ked you

meone else tried

" I said. "

s smile

fore I start asking the wrong questions.

d forward. "Wh

ter now. "The kind yo

leave me a note instead of

egiance to him." He tilted his head toward me. "

e this marriage

you s

w the first th

r is. I know what Enzo found. And I know you're

ou're here to drag her into a

I was made of glass. "Thi

epped onto my esta

you're prot

ecting wh

yours," R

d. "I'm not anyone's. But I

er. "Then co

said i

o decide that,"

puts my wife

en us. "You're both

turned

sking for

ia," I

Rafael. "Where

es from here. Documents. Files.

ow

ing her path. "You're no

come w

red a

t him now

left behind. And if Rafael was close

so much as go behind me I'll

ai

fael, her fingers white-knuckled on her thighs. I dr

mechanic's shop, shielded by surveillance blockers and

humb to a scanner, and pulled out a stack of folder

it on t

d. "He found a shell company in Cyprus. At first, he thought it

Bank statements, shipping man

weren't moving money.

p sharply. "

ts. Engineers. Anyone who refused to work with the

loser. "Van

Italy. A medical facility with no listed owners, no employe

ere he wen

ot too close. The ne

father gave me his watch. L

"There's more. Video logs. Audio files. Names. F

ou stop him?"

dn't trust anyone b

me to pick up wh

etti who might still

'll analyze this. But if you'r

lieve

"I want to se

" I

cie

ve enough. We ne

t Rafael. "C

paper from his pocket

before s

r this place without

come w

her. "This i

ot pla

time. There's a window. Tomorrow night.

mble a tea

d. "Small. Quiet. You

I liked the idea of he

," I

at me. "Will we

odd

en us. "You two mak

of us

dark. I left her outside her doo

cie

top

. "Why didn't you

ing in your face when

hat wa

op

dn't a

said. "Tomorrow,

lk away when I

n't just lie t

urn

eapon. Against my own

d n

er eyes weren't sof

m it back

smiled.

my phon

ne message. No te

ayed

d turne

y younger sister. Ti

heard in years said

igging, Lucien. Time