e I worked as a curator, seeking the

red SUV was parked menacingly

nst the hood, radia

uters on the sidewalk, forcing them to cross

off the car the

k my number?"

trolled, masking a danger

walking right past him t

way. Why don't we just go see the mob lawyers

him turned heav

stepping in front of the door and bl

me," he

ult bluntly. "I should

nfamiliar huskiness of a forced apology: "I'm sorry,

you just makes signing the d

darkened: "Add

ne: "I can't. I fo

nt terrify

bending down until his fac

really

as if trying to slice through

depths, merely brushing past his s

u loved me so much. Darli

. Why would I bother remem

th the swiftnes

tered it, he had sn

t back!"

apping the scree

nched in his

ressively, signaling

?" he demanded thr

d stubbor

n, a flash of genuine pain cro

another six-

our Mafia

il

device for a very

ngers entered a n

irth

clicked

rrified look that made my

d rapidly acro

the passcode to our

natched the phone a

o open my messages, b

typed in m

il

do?" I deman

stood there

e screen, genu

rthday again.

t him, anger

bers did

sharpened, cutt

ne confusion in

ind piece the scatter

've been like a different person," he stated with abso