LOGINI memorized every word, nodding. "Make sure, there is no alcohol, no driving, no strenuous exercise. No situations where she could hit her head again." He tapped the folder. "If she vomits repeatedly. If she becomes difficult to wake. If one pupil becomes larger than the other. If she becomes co
Vincenzo watched them carefully, "You wanted this?" "No." "You wanted to spend your nights around men like Cole?" "No." "You wanted debt collectors, guns, blood, and basements?" All three shook their heads harder, "No..." "No, sir..." "We never wanted this..." For a long moment, Vincenzo sim
Mine didn't. To me, guilt belonged to the individual responsible for the act. To Gianna, guilt spread through grief until it touched everyone left standing. Eventually... It would reach me. She wouldn't see a calculated investigation. She would see the man who allowed her entire world to disap
Adriano let out a laugh, he bent over, slapping his knee, his eyes bright with a dark, twisted amusement as he watched Cole flop around in the dirt. "Oh, look at him go!" Adriano mocked, "He’s doing the dance! Look at the moves on him! Hey, Don Capone said he’d spare your life, Mercer! He didn't sa
"No! She forced me! She—" "She forced you to get a front-row seat to our sister's blood?" Adriano laughed again, "You’re a real hero, Cole. Maybe we should put your face on a plaque. 'Here lies Cole Mercer: He was too scared to be a criminal and too stupid to be a friend.'" Cole started to sob, hi
Raphael ━━ ⛓ ━━ Adriano’s arms were capable, but they were not mine. I stepped forward before his arms could even settle into a permanent hold. I took her from him, sliding my hands beneath her knees and behind her shoulders, careful not to disturb the bandage wrapped around her head. I kept h
Gianna ━⊰ ❦ ⊱━ Neither of us heard the footsteps. Neither of us noticed the shadow stretching across the terrace until the glass door creaked on its tracks. "What are you two doing out here?" The voice was like a bucket of ice water. We both snapped our heads toward the sound, the breath cat
As we reached the small lounge table, my mother finally looked up. Her breath hitched, and she let out a small gasp, her hand flying to her mouth. Her eyes were fixed on my cheek, on the faint, yellow-green bruise I’d purposefully left uncovered. "Oh, Ginny," she whispered, "I... I didn't think I h
"Getting to know each other like this... it wasn't part of the deal," she said, her voice regaining a bit of its strength. She looked at me, a small, sad smile on her face, "I've already told you things I've never told anyone else, Raphael. This wasn't supposed to be... deep." I looked at her, my g
"No," I said. "Well..." she looked away, "I just think that once you love someone, you love them for life. There’s no second chance. If you think you’ve fallen for someone else, it just means you never really loved the first person to begin with." I stared at her. That kind of talk—that "one true







