THE DEVIL'S ROSE "CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA LORD:

lls li

om the way whispers died the moment footsteps echoed too close, h

said that morning, eyes sharp as gl

East

two men with no names and no expressions. Once, she had passed too close, and one of them had grip

doors that clicked when you passed. And an eerie quie

es, and a closet full of neutral clothes. She ate with the others-those wh

ere just beyond si

n Ser

she'd hear his voice through a speaker in the ceiling, ordering someone's fa

t soft. It wasn't kind. But it was real

ing her own plate-the rule was, you clean

hen it h

ped hair, leather gloves, uniform lik

s smi

mu

e new girl

d slowly,

es

closer, gla

. No on

lier," he said, voice low. "Dam

e was

send people.

stomach

d, backing slightly

wider. Too calm

re," he said. "Come on. I'

hed for

ike that-h

mi

ened in

on the ground, choking, Damian's knee on his throat, one hand g

mbled bac

could smell sweat and metal. She could see

he man gasped under

then

he neck. A f

le

stomach

nd vomited i

an s

was steady. Hi

boss, not like a captor-but

stepping closer. "He would've slit

her mouth,

. who

ental," he said, eyes flicking to the corpse.

n

w. She had to

ed on the faucet. Blood dripped

ked ex

a

e

said. "Protecti

know why

chest that wouldn't stop. Maybe it was the first time i

rward and wrapped

fro

se and fall of his breath, the thrum of his heart. For a second, he

sn't

s des

ne just to prove y

of his stubble, the scent of tobacco, blood, and something

of the

this broken space between horror and silence, somethin

pped ba

o his sides. His ey

e said. "I'll have

no

he turned,

nk y

arely a

lit another cigar as i

Elena coul

reaths. The house creaked and shifted around her. Some

his face-Damian, kneeling over that m

hat e

closest thing to human c

entle. He w

as somet

otec

de

devi

ning, Rosa c

U

a ob

. "You learn the schedules. The routines. You

ed Elena

Names. Duties. A th

near the

ons about what y

try to

act the ou

et who own

d sank l

es. "What happens i

lip c

lue in you before someon

s memorizing guard shift schedu

time, no guard

till locked. But

qu

alking-but her he

s in

that even the devil hi

't want

et, s

ian's voice came th

eport to the ob

stif

nced at her-bu

here, nerves elect

t a control panel with screens showing every

g," he said, eye

dn't a

ed to f

l chew you up if yo

ifted h

'll gro

s lips twitched.

o the empty s

see what survival

she

ena learned mo

why the ru

t time, she didn

ke a wolf i