Burning empire

when the heavy doors of

anist played slow jazz in the corner, but no one listen

om, a man sat alone in

. Gold rings that caught t

ic Pen

in. A man with blood on his

irst. He poured himself a dr

his name?

of the guards answered for him.

finally

ured. The kind that made

calmly. "You were res

I checked it this morning.

raised an

as

ice didn't rise, but the w

onight... i

don't know how. The

aved a han

len

he said softly. "I want

is knees. "Please,

throat as one of the g

of whiskey. He didn't w

, he stood and ad

ay forgotten. Find out who touched it. I wan

quietly, "What if th

yes turned c

clared war and I will

---

rehouse, silence ha

Matteo had left them, watching

was the fir

said

a short laugh. "Of course he did. They a

et in the car - stepped forward slowly. He

Quick. And desperate. The

perfect. We just need him close eno

y of the flash drive - the backup Matteo didn't know exis

aken from him, he'll be looking in

late," the leathe

looked away from the do

ised an eyebr

t if he starts a

e lie. Or we remind him who's ke

went qui

of wind outside the broken war

loser to the shadows, her

's rules for too long. It's

and slow. "And Matteo Rossi

into the apar

light still flickered. And from the bedroom, he

e. Fo

d exhaled. His legs felt weak. His hands were still tr

ned the fridge. He put in the items h

edroom, Le

eo rus

ow, his face pale but

forcing a grin. "Told y

him closely. "

nervously. "It'

k like that whe

bed and rubbed the back of his n

't press. He leaned his head on Matte

"Not yet. But I'm wo

sleepily. "Yo

his life. The reason he was doing any of this. He wanted to protec

protect Leo from

o had just step

t sure who the

he Street

dows, across from the ap

mouth. "Target is inside. He's

plied, "Stay on him.

ragon doesn't even know

tte under his boot and

o was l

a crushed soda can like it held the answers to life.

e best friends with a guy who probably mu

he one with Leo's math homework on th

caps, h

CLOSE TO DOMI

t Getting

pti

and pretend it

get his a

bably get a gun p

pti

is club dresse

it in movies

spill wine on someone's mob wife

pti

ething like... "Mafia Coffe

Cl

a fast way to en

pti

cat. Cats alway

Low

em: I am

ropped his head ba

am I supposed to just... walk into Pendrag

at ra

looked more org

iculous thought pop

Like-become his number one fan? Start a fan page? Call it

out violently wi

en a

pti

ile. Lie. Act

s worke

t work this time

ked up a

happen to like me today... maybe keep

eo called out, "Matteo! Ar

spiral of terrible ideas. He looked up

he topic," he called back. "I'm c

elf as he stuffed the note

dinner now. Poten

d sighed dramatically, like a man prepa

e Dominic lik