LOGIN"Vincenzo, no!" Gianna screamed, throwing herself forward. "Please! Don't do this to her!" She fought against my hold with everything she had. "Relax, Gianna," I said quietly, pulling her firmly against my chest as she struggled to break free. Under any other circumstances, I would have loosened
"Because she's street-level waste," Vincenzo said, his voice flat, almost bored. "And she made a street-level decision." Dante released Cole, who crumpled to the floor, then swung the laptop around so we could see the screen, "I've got Mercer's footage," he said. "It lines up with his version. Cole
He straightened as much as Dante's grip allowed, fixing his attention entirely on my brother. "I know what the Capone name means. You don't poke a sleeping tiger unless you're looking to get eaten alive. Everything I did tonight was to prove my loyalty." It was convincing and logically structured.
Denise collapsed into herself, a broken, animalistic wail tearing from her throat as her head hung so low her forehead nearly touched the blood pooling beneath her. "That is the truth, Gianna!" she cried. "I was just so tired. You don't know what it's like to have people threatening to kill you eve
Alfonso moved instantly. He lunged forward, grabbing Morgan and jerking her head back until her neck strained. He jammed the barrel of his pistol into her mouth. She let out a muffled, terrified sob, her hands shaking in the air as she choked around the gun. My eyes returned to Denise, locking ont
"But right now... my only job is to make sure nobody ever hurts you again." I couldn't help her while she was pulling against the ropes still wrapped around her ankles. "Stay still." She didn't, "Raphael, please—" "I said stay still." I crouched in front of her and pulled the knife from my belt
Raphael ━━ ⛓ ━━ The therapist's office was on the thirty-second floor. There were glass walls, expensive furniture and neutral colors. The kind of place designed to make people feel comfortable. The receptionist looked nervous when I stepped off the elevator. I walked past her desk and she immed
I opened three more files, then placed them side by side, "There." Raphael leaned forward, his shoulder nearly brushed mine, neither of us moved, neither of us acknowledged it. The room seemed to hold its breath, then I watched understanding slam into him. His eyes darkened and suddenly the frus
Waiting. For heartbreak. For regret. For grief. Nothing came. Only relief. And for the first time since his name had appeared on my screen... I smiled. ──━⊰ 𓆙 ⊱━── The office floor hummed around me. Monitors glowed from every direction. Lines of code scrolled endlessly across screens. Pho
Of course he felt the distance, the indifference and the complete lack of warmth. I could practically hear him trying to figure me out, trying to find the version of me he remembered. The version that wasn't there anymore. His voice softened, "Are you okay?" A year ago that question would have af







