Too Late For The Mafia King's Regret

up the New York skyline with drones spelling my na

e on the dock to rush to his

g her belly with the caption: "He fi

all else. I was just the pla

am. I didn't

itiated Gho

the divorce papers, and erased

Sophia's baby wasn't his-that he had betraye

ge and spent his fortune burn

-security Swiss lab where I was hidi

re me, gaunt

She paid for what she

e man I had on

e, Lucien. But murder?

enemie

pte

ra

fingers white-knuckled around a crystal-encrusted evening bag that held two

wo pink lines-the heir my husba

ne with a single draft mes

niversar

, a Vittori daughter traded to the Capo dei Capi, the Boss of Bosses. I expected a monster. Instead

myself believe

some in his tuxedo, the sharp lines of his jaw and the predatory grace of his movements draw

scendo of the orchestra drowned out their voices. They thought I was just t

Sicilian. I learned the dialect

rco said, swirling his scotch. "She keeps asking

pagne flute so hard I feared the st

k sound that usually made my knee

dripping with arrogant entitlement. "Fresh. Delica

ph

sis

wn sister. The one who borrowed my clothes, who cried on my shoulder about

ned closer, a lecherous grin on his f

defense of me. He looked like a man guard

a is the Queen. She is the image we need. Sophia is... an indulgence.

lica

even years of stitching up his wounds in the middle of the night with shaking hands.

champagne. It

nical. I had to get out of this r

y looked at me with envy. They saw the diamonds around my neck, the powerful husba

ss. I walked to the stone railing and looked out over the estate. It was a fortres

rembled as I touched the cool

him now, he would be thrilled. He would spin me around, kiss me, and

be raised by a father who viewed loyalty

t the bur

t was suicide; trading one cage for anoth

ber I had memo

e," I w

end was calm, sterile. The Professo

my voice steady despite the tears

clearance requires a total ghost

"I need extracti

mel

hing at something a Senator said, his hand resting pos

"I need three days to

hours. Be ready. Once you step on that

exist ten minut

pped the phone ba

d the silk of my gown. I was a doctor. I dealt wit

d me. The air shifted,

or

e. Once, it felt like a warm bl

close. He smelled of expensive cologne, toba

a's p

ost g

ning my face. He was perceptive. He was a predator who not

t was the best perf

e," I lied. "Th

rand of hair behind my ear. His fing

red. "Who upset you? Tell

y was su

I said. "J

against the railing. His posse

e said, his voice dropping an

t wait,

g the distance I couldn't q

d, the darkness bleeding int

ow,"

ned my head at the last second

I said, slipping ou

arty, leaving him standi

tdown ha