The Devil Wears a Signature Ring

't have come

heavy door closed with a muted click behind him, sealing them inside a room lined with antique garment trunks and meta

his eyes. "Then maybe you shouldn

"Nothing in this

d something darker, like burnt oud-and her fingers itched to

e lead," she said, tryi

nted o

ned. "Ex

it wasn't quite a smile.

can you e

er. Inside, resting on black velvet, was an identical ring to the one he wore on his right hand. The signat

ux is given one," he said.

rest?" Is

're b

men who

dded

d honesty. Not this fast. "So it's re

arpened. "This isn't champagne and cigars behi

ng between them,

id slowly, "you'r

er hand-the one that had hover

the truth?" he sai

art th

k I'm tha

unreadable. "I think y

. She stared at the ring. Felt the pull. The whisp

ed the drawer

rl," Luca

your games, Luca. I'

t one exclud

d respond, the

n darkened. "We

her of them could see. And then, somewhere in the back of t

the

," he said, striding to the door. "It re

invit

ollowed the bread crumbs

him, adrenaline spik

ode and the vault door hissed open

odel passed by, oblivious, clutching a bag that

shows were chaoti

s," Luca said. "Th

rapes muffled sound and concealed entrances. Luca

ing me here?" s

her so sudden

ut me," he said quietly, "you should

htened. "Prote

ot

pt wa

reflected off wet streets. Limousines idled.

, down a narrow alley behind the ven

" Isla said, sto

some. More

ed pr

"And you'll stop a

es

hat I'm a

to respond-but a sh

ure lunged from the dark. The attac

bl

him into the wall. The weapon clattered to the ground. I

"The ring must

pressure point blo

he?" Isla

Luca muttered, grabbing her arm

p Call

idn't

hoose me," she said as they

id grimly, "someone

a graffiti-tagged wall. Marcus Bellam

ready?" he

r Isla to get in

know you,

his head. "You

ow cut traced her arm. F

go

asking questions. Isla sat between hi

ou said the ring choos

ent a mome

" he said finall

The heat. The way it knew her n

t is

t a ring. It's an inheritance.

wh

tru

"You say that tr

uca said. "It

se in Montmartre. Ancient ironwork curle

g the grand salon for a spira

nt?" sh

Marcus c

a added. "No chain

A round table at the center. And in its middle-another ring. This one w

the

s this

ground,"

ng. "This isn't the sa

ne cracked because its w

ng inside pulsed faintly. And

" Luca

e

owed her-but

. Dressed in red

she wh

d. "That's what

away, hea

how me

this is just a story,"

er. "But you're

cus brought her coffee, unasked. Watched her like a bodyg

"You've known Luc

g en

e let you s

oesn't let me. He jus

dange

ater

. "That's no

o think they can use the ring for themselves. He's

s fa

bel?" Marcus said. "It's a dynasty. An empi

wed. "And

they pay to

er, Luca

eva," he said. "But

te Mar

rfaced, it means someone's mo

ind of

he eye. "The kind that