LOGINI memorized every word, nodding. "Make sure, there is no alcohol, no driving, no strenuous exercise. No situations where she could hit her head again." He tapped the folder. "If she vomits repeatedly. If she becomes difficult to wake. If one pupil becomes larger than the other. If she becomes co
Vincenzo watched them carefully, "You wanted this?" "No." "You wanted to spend your nights around men like Cole?" "No." "You wanted debt collectors, guns, blood, and basements?" All three shook their heads harder, "No..." "No, sir..." "We never wanted this..." For a long moment, Vincenzo sim
Mine didn't. To me, guilt belonged to the individual responsible for the act. To Gianna, guilt spread through grief until it touched everyone left standing. Eventually... It would reach me. She wouldn't see a calculated investigation. She would see the man who allowed her entire world to disap
Adriano let out a laugh, he bent over, slapping his knee, his eyes bright with a dark, twisted amusement as he watched Cole flop around in the dirt. "Oh, look at him go!" Adriano mocked, "He’s doing the dance! Look at the moves on him! Hey, Don Capone said he’d spare your life, Mercer! He didn't sa
"No! She forced me! She—" "She forced you to get a front-row seat to our sister's blood?" Adriano laughed again, "You’re a real hero, Cole. Maybe we should put your face on a plaque. 'Here lies Cole Mercer: He was too scared to be a criminal and too stupid to be a friend.'" Cole started to sob, hi
Raphael ━━ ⛓ ━━ Adriano’s arms were capable, but they were not mine. I stepped forward before his arms could even settle into a permanent hold. I took her from him, sliding my hands beneath her knees and behind her shoulders, careful not to disturb the bandage wrapped around her head. I kept h
Gianna ━⊰ ❦ ⊱━ The heavy doors to his office clicked shut with a sound that felt like a trap springing into place. I followed him. The files and my laptop were hugged so tight against my ribs that the corner dug into my skin. He wasn't sitting behind his desk. He went to the floor-to-ceiling
Her hand moved from my cheek to the back of my neck. She was pulling me toward her, her body angling in until there was no space left between our chairs. I had never been with a woman. The thought flickered through my brain like a dying lightbulb, but I couldn't find the energy to care. Everything
"Gianna..." Aileen started. "Go," I said, staring at the blank computer screen. "The meeting is starting. You’ll be late." I watched her walk away. I watched the glass doors of the conference room swing shut, sealing me out while everyone was in there. The office went quiet. It was just me and the
──━⊰ 𓆙 ⊱━── A frantic energy vibrating through me as the clock ticked toward ten. I sat at my desk, my spine stiff and my fingers flying over the keys. I hadn’t slept last night, not even the two-hour nap I usually allowed myself. I had spent the night in a chair, my face red from the cold water







