THE SHADOW BETWEEN US
fice was nothing li
I found myself in a space that belonged in a high-end magazine - white marble floors, floor-to-cei
a perfect chignon and wearing a cream-colored suit that probably cost more than my old car. She looked l
with fluid grace. "You're prettier than I
use
en to protect them, to make decisions for them." Victoria's smile
hten. "Good thing I'm
esk, studying me like a predator ev
a trap, then stood between him and a gun." I met her gaze steadily
pproval flickered in her eyes. "Better. But manipulating Adrian when he's already h
teac
a crystal decanter filled with amber liquid. "But first
barely
ewhere." She poured two glasses, handing me one. "Be
ight of it solid in my h
chair across from me, crossing her legs elegant
training in weapons, maybe surveillance, cert
e. The ability to make
"That's force, not power. Any thug with a gun can mak
what i
r drink, never breaking eye contact. "It's the ability to shape reality itself, to
ds like ma
a smiled, and it was beautiful and terrifying. "And y
He's the sword that cuts down enemies, the shield that protects what he
ow
ving her is serving their own best interests." Victoria turned back to me. "Adrian ca
ed over me like a silk shroud. "You
"But first, you need to understand the game we're playing. And
ung man entered - mid-twenties, attractive in a carefully cultivated way, w
his is Marcus Chen. He works for the Harbor Commission and has been v
fortably. "Ms. Crane
ictoria's voice was silk over steel. "Marcus
d from Marcus's
acher at St. Catherine's Elementary. She
e, Ms.
e question
pered. "She d
seven. She's in her mother's
s were shakin
ppened to disrupt her happy little life." Victoria's smile neve
, ma
The next shipment is Tuesday. I t
, leaving me alone with Victoria and
t a single threat was made, no violence was suggested. But Marcus w
threatened
. "I simply reminded him of what he has to lose. The threat was all
rumbled without a single explicit threat being made
oria leaned forward. "Love is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal, Elena. More powerf
rian pro
eed. "But the question is: what are
I thought about the gallery, about standing between Adrian and Dm
," I said
e ready for your
er cabinet. When she turned bac
ennan. He's a federal prosecutor who's been asking uncomfortable question
n was in his fifties, gray-haired and serious-looking. There were p
want me to
Victoria's smile was sharp. "I want you to convince h
ow
advice: everyone has something they value more than their princi
s of a man who was probably just doi
s voice was matter-of-fact. "But I don't think that's t
do I s
estaurant every Tuesday. Rossini's, on
d t
ctoria raised her glass in a mock toast. "Welco
-
ederal prosecutors could have lunch without attracting attention. I'd chosen my outfit carefully - a navy blue dre
ked like legal documents while he ate. He was smaller than he'd appeared in the photographs, more o
udied him. He ate methodically, pausing occasionally to make notes in the margins of his pape
ity but wasn't flashy
re you waitin
tanding beside my chair, his
smile. "I'm afraid I'm one of those pe
He hesitated, then extended
. His grip was firm, his palm slightly calloused.
"I hate to see someone eating alone, es
t him think i
llowing him to help me to his table.
viewing some work document
ing pushy, interesting without being overbearing. Under diffe
asked, settling into th
it without pride or shame, just a s
other lie, but one that would be easy to maintai
at elevates us above mere survival." He signaled the waiter for anot
He was intelligent, cultured, genuinely interested in what I had to
was going to make
uring a lull in the conversati
" I gave him a rueful smile. "I've just been
bout? Sometimes it helps to di
g whether to continue. "Do you ever feel like you're liv
cognition, maybe, or understanding.
ately, I've been questioning everything." I took a sip of wine, letting
u're someone who's brave enough to ask the hard
s
ns. Who've decided that the world is what it is, and there's no point in
erent
out who you're supposed to be." He smiled, an
, this good man who was just trying to do his job, w
Bre
as, p
eling myself for what I had to
cour
le? If the people you're trying to prosecute are too
d in his expressio
w someone in your position deals
say that the law applies to everyone, regardless of wealth or power." His jaw tigh
s very
ee the passion burning in his eyes. "If good people don't stand up to corruption, then
g everything else? Your famil
." His voice was quiet but absolute. "Some t
t from the world I was learning to navigate. A man who believed in just
s supposed
ing from the table. "Thank you for lu
na,
lone at the table with his principles and his hope an
like
-
oria asked when I cal
didn
use
gripped the steering wheel tighter. "He's a goo
as built." Victoria's voice was ice-cold. "His
what his
g, it sounds like you're having second
side." The words came out fiercer than I'd intended.
nnan has sent dozens of people to prison, Elena. He's destroyed families, r
holding
grind Adrian into dust without a second thought." Victoria's voice softened, becoming almost m
is what separat
that our violence is somehow more justified than theirs." Victoria paused. "You have a choice to make. You can be Adrian's
alone with my thoughts and the
out the strange woman who'd asked him uncomfortable questions and then fled. I thought
I'd stood between him and Dmitri's gun. About the love in his e
me to become someone I
destroy good men
h fear and manipulation and t
worthy of standing be
eyes and mad
where Thomas Brennan was probably finishing his lunch and
was about to
s queen, and queens p
ter th