LOGINShe leaned against the bar.“Thank you for the flowers,” she said quietly. “What did you want to talk about?”I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I didn't expect it to be easy, but I had hoped for a slightly warmer reception.“There’s a lot we need to discuss. About us, about what happened, and
MiaNearly a month had passed since the raid, and life had settled into a new routine. I was working as a nurse, and the steady rhythm of the hospital shifts was both grounding and exhausting. Mom was at the penthouse on bedrest, recovering from her surgery, but her spirits were high. She had a job
"Everybody on the ground now!"Agents burst into the room, guns drawn. The attendees opened fire on them but they were overwhelmed.In the midst of the chaos, I spotted Dimitri, clutching his shoulder. Glaring at me, his face twisted in a mix of anger and fear. He tried to get toward the backdoors a
AlbertPolina was mingling with various guests, a smile plastered on her face that took over her whole face. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of frustration when I thought of her. She really thought this was going to go a certain way.I moved through the crowd avoiding her. I noticed several of Dimit
It was bittersweet and lonely and not the mood I needed to be in the day before all my plans would come to fruition.Ivan came into the study nearly an hour later, already dressed for bed. He poured himself a cup of whiskey and sat across the table from me.“I’ve been looking for places for Katie an
AlbertThat night, I found myself sitting across from a few government operatives in a discreet, dimly lit office. The atmosphere was tense as we went over the final elements of the plan, including the layout of the Kulak Estate.The operatives were efficient and to the point. Things were going well
MiaThe afternoon light filtered through the train window, casting shadows across the car. I looked out on the almost glowing city. It was views like this that made the ugliness of the city seem so unreal, as if I could close my eyes for a moment and when I opened them, the facts of my life would so
Albert's POVThe warehouse was a cavernous space, the air thick with the metallic tang of blood and the stale scent of fear. Two figures, trussed up like turkeys, hung suspended from the rafters, their faces contorted in a mask of terror. My men, ever efficient, flanked the entrance, their expressio
I sank onto the couch."Why did your father want to see you?" I asked, hoping to nudge the conversation forward.Mia turned, throwing her bag down with a scream.“Don’t ever call that son of a bitch my father!”I said nothing, noting that there was a thin tear in his sleeve.A knife? A bullet?“What
We finished eating, and I headed back to my room, passing out before I could think about Lorenzo and what he might want in the morning.When I woke up, the penthouse was quiet when I emerged from my room. Albert, it seemed, was still asleep. A sliver of gratitude pierced the knot of worry in my stom







