sali

s thing to do. He co

Marcus, desperate to stop his grating

e death of his father. Let this be the last time you second-gu

looked down at me like I was an un

is palm forever stuck to the grip of his gun. I had no

squeezed it dry with his gaze, I leaned against the grand pian

d threatened m

xpression in his eyes, the coldest gray eye

ring into me and peeling back layer after layer.

mediately, as the lock clicked, my fingers started to shake, and suddenly I felt open

l-colored satin dress that cinched at the waist. She finished the chignon with an emerald hairp

hat this charity-memorial wa

ans would be there. They would come not to mourn my fa

at of my father's black Cadillac. Dante and the rest of my

be reintroduc

*

a path through floating silver

s-than-amused wives, jealous at the unabashed admiring gazes their husban

d, the tone soon shifte

onation, ma'am," one of the fundraiser

rnest face, fillin

tion for a statement about my father's tragic demise a

combed back in a style that tried, and failed, to soften

rds' positions, and was relieved to se

ut losing his life, and that, I gues

o the Chief of Naval Staff and his past

the champagne to drown the scream th

dmiring glances. Everyone wanted something from me, be

rwhe

tartling me. My palm flew to my thro

kt

you attended,"

your skin is blotchy with e

ous," I murmured, pressing t

eant he had come here before me. I couldn't guess if it had

before, and you took i

p back. "You did th

an icy cloak. Through the crackling in my chest and the trem

trap I could foresee. "The hotel is a hotspot for b

o. I have lawyers.

to prove?" Irritation

g to prove by getti

ave a plan. There's a murderer running around just

champagne mixing with the fear and anger in m

elled his aftershave, felt the tremors of something d

eemably stupi

'd ever shoved in my life. He didn't budge. In the brief contact my palms had with his b

recite my last prayer

proved m

ways to escape the corner he'd backed me into. He

d you l

w hard his muscles were under his suit, eliminated the chill of

ll I managed

kwise, the silicone-covered stub separating with

d in a panic.

le question. How. D

heels, but it was

your busines

extended his arm over the railing. My eyes

N

. He dro

sive and well-made prosthetic finger bounced a c

press in close behind me,

d maybe people would respect you

d to slap him, shove him, anything in retaliat

the railing, the sound of it shattering on the

e as I walked back into the ballroom, only

e turned, his glare sharp enou

tion as I watched his glare m

on of a bitch who