na

through the cracked blin

y emergency. The baby had woken twice in the night, his cries sharp and insi

a, feeding him again. He took the bott

ey belonged to him. And staring into them, I felt the last of my hesitation burn

sleep, I placed him gently in a mak

lay next to my sink. Serena had dispatched it via a discreet same-day courier mere ho

d the f

the father's name a stark, empty line meant to obsc

s wrath, admitting she could not survive in his world, and formally bequeathed the burden of the

tic justificat

I smoothed it out again. Evidence. Every piece

p the sleeping infant and wrappe

t of my apartment and hail

old the driver, reciting the address of

gray buildings and fl

d the fare and stepped out onto the pavement. The building was a fortre

lobby was pristine-all white marble and polished chrome. Two security guards im

y voice was steady, betraying none

the receptionist asked witho

. "Tell him I h

rms. "You need to leave, m

ing silence of the marble lobby, he let out a sharp,

nsive suits tu

from my bag. I stood in the middle of the syndicat

old, sharp face and a dangerous stillness about him-the Under

darting to the baby. "What is y

nly to the Boss

pulled a phone from his pocket and made a tense, qui

me," h

levator. We rode up in total silence. I watched the floor numbers climb,

ury I could no

open to a massive, dimly lit office that s

olid wood that seemed to absorb al

nt

air in the room feel instantly heavier. His d

wered my arms and placed the child dir

sign for it. And then you're going to d

esk-his son, wrapped in a borrowed blanket, d

time in his reign, Dante had absol