eir labored breathing the only sound in the vast, empty space. The pho

your last

ing the strings was growing bolder, and Alex was done playing defense. He tossed

chestrated this meeting to rattle him, to remind him how deeply she and Declan were embedded in his life. But

, and he knew exact

-

indows, its false serenity mocking him. Victor was already there, leanin

ened at the warehou

a drink. "She's in this up to her neck. Sh

's playing a dangerous game.

But I'm done waiting for them to make the

"I like the sound of t

an will protect himself, but Helena's ambition will make h

I'll dig into her background-see what

lex asked, his

rete, but I have a tail on her. If sh

ame. Emilia was a wildcard, and the closer he got to the truth,

-

d sent over preliminary information on Helena-a detailed dossier that pain

graph of Helena with a man he didn't recognize. The man was tall, with dark

omething unsettling about the man's expression-a col

through the phone. "You

he?" Ale

ary turned mercenary. He's been linked to a do

the phone. "And what's hi

dles the dirty work while she keeps her hands clean. If Helena'

ost, someone who operated in the shadows and left no trace. If he was

said. "If he's working wit

be easy. He's like smoke-one minute he's there,

-

ing in. He was about to shut down his laptop when an alert popped

ached the penth

en in his desk drawer. He moved silently through the

ing room-a soft shuffle, like s

ll, his grip steady on the weapon. W

s locked onto a figure standing

" Alex demanded, lowering the gun

f fear and desperation. "I had to see you," she sa

said coldly. "What are you really doi

o! I swear, I'm not working with him anymore. I... I ov

ardened. "I'm

s were listening. "Helena and Declan are planning something big. They're meeting to

carefully laid plan to lure him into their clutches. But

he asked, his voice cutting th

idn't falter. "Because I love you, Ale

erupted from the kitchen. Both of them turned, their

red, raising his gun as the s

s face obscured by a mask,

er growled, his voice

s eyes locked on the

th the mask. "You'll

ting, the room charged

screamed as the man lunged for

g out, and the world

-

Contin