Shadows of the Night

Stained

trained her breath, and she remembered this was a trap. Beyond the large oak entrance of the Moretti m

aged to mar

announced, and once when their fathers had finalized the contract over whiskey and money stained with bloo

an an hour, he

the door. S

cultivating her face i

no stood in the doorway. His dark hair was rumpled,

breathed. "

no was the softer one, the one with a glimmer of hope inside hi

this," she

inside the room, closing the door betw

snapped u

h-whatever you'll require." He waited. "But

at constricted.

i name. N

't she w

his hand.

l in th

ests and guards at each turn. This evening, the house was a

ached the door of the servants' exit

m was

most foul so

training for air. A dark s

ina sc

ss. A man dressed in black, a sm

cond-in-command

ou could escape, Prin

phina. Matteo was a loyal

to react before she

ough the air. Matteo never had time to react to wh

gle. A lurch

the floor, c

un!" he

verything. "I'm not

ist was weak, desperate. "If you

door cras

eps. V

forehead of her broth

with th

mobile. The mercenary-for-hire driver hadn't even shift

ucked as gl

mn it!" sh

ipped through the rear street

ead against the glass. Luc

nothing.

sn't o

he pulled out her phone.

di

ugh. A voice-smoot

of nerve calling

breath. "Enzo.

use.

liste

t in

le to the Moretti estate. Cold. Less

is green eyes never leaving Serap

he whispered. "And

her shoulders. "I

led into a d

ered. "Then wha

breath. "An

s snapped

. "He attempted to kill me. I owe no

t him. Stead

arry you-on o

d his head.

hina

nt re

ealed i

silence be

he desk. He stopped before her, close

you need me?"

want to murder my father as much as I do.

her jaw, sending a

ying with f

born

anything for a

smi

id. "We'll do

sk drawer and pulled o

de-a

He slid it onto her finger, hi

? It's not jus

brushed

long to