ouse was

sleep, memorizing his breathing like I coul

of the hallway, armed and

ming from Dante's office

alian I couldn'

t have eav

d an

window," Dante was saying. "Someone inside

pa

d. Bank accounts. Phone logs. If there's even a h

her

nough to tell me everything. Every piece of inf

d because Dante's head

met throu

" he said into the p

ssion. Just gesture

di

ps. Territory marked in colors. Red pins clustered in cer

t's te

ritory that Vin

ose zones," Dante said, watching

u're huntin

out starting a war that destroys this city." He mo

t know

your father built that Vincent stole." Dante stopped inches fro

my name made m

nt to u

es

t he di

do w

erritorial discussions." He moved to his desk, poured two glasses o

eople w

. His fingers brushed mine. Deliberately. "And I'm telling

have felt

I felt

wn. A means

don't wa

ld. "You came here saying you wanted to be a boss. Wanted to reclaim

ight. I

carefully. "What wou

discussing the weather. "Let them see that Moretti didn't die with your f

ke I had

hey try to

e." He said it so casually. Like ownership was a settled fact. "Yo

st tig

n't part

as pos

to tell

ilding knows. You're no longer Elena Sinclair hiding in safe houses.

ss

hanged withou

t what I a

ot was far more complicated. But you're still breathing, your son is still

ed to

oul

he was

on the couch w

wn nu

mach d

d it, but I got there first. G

ity. But every fortress has blind spots. And you, little bird, ar

le b

r's name

rom my hand and sha

oice was sharp. "

the penthouse.

me the

di

y going still. Then he moved to the

ST.

d in seconds,

device it's pinged. Every location. I want

st said, tak

to me. "Who called

r. Only m

m your father's

young. Someone close." My hands w

side this building. Someone with access to your locati

lizatio

tor wasn

itor wa

need

ghts c

he entire pent

nt, nothin

window. The city lights below provided j

th me,"

cked through

ano

ide the

here near

e body w

uc

ing, pulling me away from the window, toward the of

er gu

os

hts flickered back on emergency li

out, issuing comma

icopter. Fift

d my wris

r

nel moving fast. More gunshots. The sound of brea

my son, who was awake and terrified, hi

the emergency stairwell. You take the ele

Dante

appeared

private elevator, his han

ator doo

ot i

a glimpse of a figure a

almost r

lace him, the do

that?"

aid, his voice flat. "Patterson. Fif

would

ecause someone always flips. Because this is th

evator

licopter was waiting to take us away from th

enthouse for less

s already