Who Will Become His Bride

orett

the truth, the faste

n't raise

finish what my

t the

Two angled in the corrid

ne bli

to it lik

e. Soft sol

ing its breath. No maids. No guard

ve been my f

ide the arch

ea

card I stole from Giada

cl

ck dis

m

of dust and in

n alphabetical order. I

the drawer mark

nt

o carry weight here. Be

as I flip throu

whisper. "Com

I fou

nte: Case Re

transcriptions.

into my satch

tst

behind

t closer. Sl

t is isn'

now I'

d my

orknob

round the small blad

r creak

or bedtime

t v

es

nd the shelf, bl

it and

with that letter op

an stab if you d

the door b

ays. "Camera at the north sta

my breath. "Yo

I interce

ve, but he bl

not stop

are you trying to find

pa

e. "Evi

O

owe you

f, arms crossed. "No. But

use

he says. "It had your na

. "So now I ow

s. "You owe

h. "Fine. You

y m

va Moretti. It's

esn't

my family. I need proof to clear my father'

e doesn'

reats? No gu

e he's peeling back

s a traitor," h

e was

wh

Your preci

wly, like a bomb we

w what you're

. I grew up with a

ost someone?" he snaps. "I buried fr

ieve he leak

want to b

like. And I know your father's

each ot

e is a

"If Don Marco finds out

ady susp

you're

ser. "Then

re in

e only one who hasn't

ens. "I'm not

ing at me like

huts h

just enough for

top at

ou follow

esit

omeone else had, you'd a

a chill dow

, "don't use my name

s snap

did

ression

ne wants yo

y, toward the laundry chute. It's th

you take

satchel. "Enough to bu

better hid

"Why are you

trying to figure out if

ant me

nt an

tter, "so do

ch the

anel. Cold a

utes," Alessio says. "

pa

nking, I press a

roma

e. Grate

bli

va

you," I

the chute and va

nens in the sub-basement

, climb

hisper. "Hide the

to the old furnace room. It

wall and pry open

still

tash

it inside a weatherproof pouch,

eplaced

ea

o

ack towar

hear

. M

dropped something o

ood f

ice respond

think she's in contro

o

no

to the shadows

y k

hole

n't just in

irec

as I pull out m

nal. Ju

it

onto me. Backup ne

espo

d l

llow

ear a th

os

cl

s right

hlight sweeps ac

Three

get's moving. Heading toward th

I'm runni

o

th

pi

arrow air duct above

the grate shu

through the

a gu

Ales

ci

il

ing

finally meet without an a

'd only stab people wit

cocks th

ll of s