Crown of Blood: The Don's Reckoning

silence. It was the kind of silence that ca

. The marina shimmered with expensive yachts, oblivious to the war brewing beneath the surface. Tourists s

rpiece, her jaw clenched. She was no longer the cur

now. And she had

he gala. Drazen's list of VIPs just dropped. Everyone from bio-def

nd we still don't know ho

odorless, and fast. Once it's in the air, it won't be stoppe

sure this is h

a restored fortress overlooking the coast. Th

ed. Their names replaced dignitaries too dead or too missing to object.

eliers, live string music, and high-en

s-elegant s

nes-power, wea

crowd. "Drazen cou

view of the panic. We find the

e upper balcony, Tino thr

ignitaries. She ignored them. Her eyes were on the ventilation syste

otted

ce embedded into on

ve rigged the chandelier itself. Air circulation will

it," Tino

have th

on my

e. A man stepped out of the shadows, blocking

or D

azen said, voice smoo

his gun wi

didn't

espected your ruthlessness. But I never quite be

last chapter no

r. "I freed you. I gave you a purpose. You were just ano

embled. "You ki

e you

Drazen ducked, the bullet shaving past his

and took

th a letter opener and a pocket flashlight. Her hands we

rly. She breathed deeply. Steady. And then-clic

athed into her comm. "

ice replied. "Now

someone. A woman across the hall- t

yn D

follow

inued to dance, drink, and make dea

to the main balcony

chasing Evelyn i

ted, sprintin

wing wa

Evelyn Drazen wasn't running. She was walking-sl

d an old dr

ed, finally

our brother," she sai

had given her. "You used

. "He was the first successful ca

s shook. "Yo

e?" Evelyn stepped closer. "He wasn't killed. He self-terminated be

nees near

ched for her purse. But Sandy di

n

ic

kward-shock in her e

e

ambled, unaware of wh

n SUV as Tino led Sa

ght?" Roc

didn't

ands-hands that had

lowering her arms. "You

en why does it feel l

't have a

y from the château, th

on rocked

age of Drazen's demonstration-oblite

ackup," Rocca whisp

"He wanted to erase eve

eyes. "Then we'

d, the war for tomorrow had already begun. T

rear-view mirror, Sandy watched the fiery remnants of the ballroom-the plac

n was

had vanished... And the most damning evidence- the dri

tight around the grip of his pistol. He hadn

nce. "We were seconds away

ve the road. "And Draz

ners picked up chatter- Interpol has been tipped off. Someone fed them

ed us," Sand

e just became p

he Marseille underworld-beneath an abandoned winery, now r

ata trails, Sandy paced

elier. Evelyn was a decoy. T

ainst the wall

g he wanted u

"I'm saying he wante

d our names into Interpol's Red List. If we se

"What about extract

e locked down the coast. Eve

ll, walked to Sandy. "

ked up. "

ying defense. No more chasing afte

"And you just happen to

t answer r

n the corner of the room. He pulled out a

d it on

ered la

ON: MOR

Island o

t name... Cole mentioned it once.

tellite images. Maps. To

No borders. Used by multiple governments for shadow R&D over the dec

unned. "That pl

t anymore. If Drazen has

tight. "Then tha

t boat route from a private marina in Toulon. No ligh

row, eyes locked on

ned her,

ng about Evelyn. The look in her

you had it in you,

didn't... until I looked at her and thought

starts? This... hunger? To burn the

starts with loss. But

moment longer before he whispe

ack blade- sharp cliffs, concrete watchtowers,

n's c

hands curled tighter around her weapon. This wa