Blood and Roses

yn – 9

doorway wasn'

s a g

-shadowed beneath a wet hoodie. The glint of metal at his waist wa

Damien's shirt. Her heart galloped as if her body already k

d me," Dam

move. "Dam

. "This him? The billionaire ba

en barked, st

give the orders here, Wall St

you put your hands on her," Da

's smil

he drew

8 p

fract

ien lunged. The gu

ao

Isla ducked, clutching her belly. Damien tackled Brandon against the

" Damien roare

slam Damien against the wall with a thud that rattled plas

s locke

ared in

scra

on sa

ouch it,

into Brandon's gut. Brandon gasped-and

amed, aiming it

men

ved, blood drippin

ed. "You gonna sho

s narrowed

eat, no o

oor and backed toward the door. "

ered, voice har

nished int

. – NYPD

t in custody?" Damien sla

efore patrol arrived. No prints. No vehicle. Your girlf

eatened her and the

ve added. "So we've got mutual aggression, no injuries,

enched. "I'll g

ly. "We've flagged her address and requested patrols. But Keller's sma

Isla, who sat sil

e the precinct lights

voice gentler. "We'll

can't do this again, Dami

r hand. "He didn'

if he co

'll be

Damien's Midt

le

e warm

at settled into bones and wh

elf, watching headlights smear across the windows

ed slowly, two

you might

ss with a trembl

in silence

"You shouldn't

I'd walk

k you s

didn't ask for this. I didn'

t him then.

g cracked op

of woman who fit

n down the par

dn

e on his bed. No tou

hem was thick. Tangle

en asked softly

We met when I was nineteen. He was charm

d t

hreats. By the time he hit me, I was too numb to leave.

ound you," Da

ain," she whispered. "But

r hand. "Then let

him ho

for t

ning - 8

dining table, sc

One from a blocked n

it on

ink the cops care about your lies? I see everything.

the phone, h

tless, holding two cof

dn't a

icemail ke

mien h

arkened. "

mie

what it takes. He

, you go to prison. Our chil

at her, ch

ed his fist i

him disappear

– Damien's Priv

nd a public smear campaign," said M

hing

He's sloppy. We've got burner numbers, encrypted apps, and access

es. Destroy his network. An

lways did know how

t war. It'

ing – Roo

se terrace, sipping tea, sunlight touching h

d her in

g to wake up,"

re aw

-it feels like fiction. You'

're

eath c

e to fix me,"

" he replied. "I want to

he

art st

, he pulled out a sma

silver pendant.

ked. "Wha

re she died. Told me to give it to t

d her eyes.

Not yet. But I'm not

the pendant

issed

– Damien'

de love

language of bodies learning each other. Her hand

trust you," against his s

rebuilt,

- Outside

ugh binoculars fro

Keller

t his bur

one final

ou soon

dropped it in a sewer grate,