barely any movement in the city outside that could penetrate through the stillness between her and Santino. The one figure sta

pt his eyes on Izzy. "Don't freak o

with unspoken tension. She didn't trust Luca, she didn't trust what he was attracting or the DeLucas, yet when she agreed to come here her whole per

was steady, but the flash of uncertainty th

afehouse," he replied, his tone low. "Where we can convers

thing, but a voice cut in before

ll, with a gaunt and chiseled face, his eyes were deeply shadowed a

e door. "Thank you, Marco. W

a signaled to Izzy to follow him, and though every instinct yel

g sound of her heels on the concrete which felt like very loud music. Santino went ahead, his ever present proximity was like a shadow which she couldn't wash away, still,

Izzy noticed the silence. That air was thick with a tension it could only have

hile casting an almost clinical glow on the walls. "This is where business occurs," he said,

ame dangerous world but she never saw it like this; she never had a cold and unfeeling space that seemed to swa

the hall, and Santino turned to her with a

ns for it. Izzy, you should realize one thing – this is not about us only. It is about survival. Families that we come from have been fi

family had instilled in her: that loyalty to the Moretti name was the most important thing, that they were the good guys in a world

more than she wanted. "However, that does not mean that you can win me over. T

ords when he spoke again. "I'm not asking you to forget,

im light. The room was sparsely furnished with a few chairs around a table and somehow managed to exude

to one of the chairs. "It won'

ly made the confusion deeper, only added to the uncertainty she had already felt since that first glance they had shared at

answer." He paused and carefully watched her. "The wheels are already in motion for your family to fall. Giovanni doesn't want to see it, b

t give in to weakness. "You think t

i, and better aware of your surroundings. You see how things are changing. If you aid me, I can assi

y she had grown up hating. But here was Santino offering her an out from the war, a chance to heal what had

ouldn't. There was something too dangerous about him, something that

ow," Izzy said, her voice low but reso

s voice was still hard. "No, Izzy. I want yo

ocked the light from the hallway. Santino's expression hardened and h

the man asked, his v

o Izzy, his expression u

the room was heavy with what hadn't been sp

if she was even read