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..." 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
My body felt like it was made of wet cement, sinking into the mattress. But I didn't have the luxury of being tired. Tired was for people who had a safety net. I only had the tightrope. I’d drag myself to my morning classes, sitting in the back of the lecture halls with my eyes burning. The whiteb
I turned my head. A man in a tailored gray suit was sitting at a VIP table flush against the stage. He looked older, his face etched with the kind of boredom only a lot of money can buy. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a thick, rubber-banded stack of cold, hard cash. He slammed i







