Vows in Blood and Silk

oes not feel

s like

polished, pe

as they close behind her. The sound echoes l

," Luca s

not rush her. He simply walks b

nger into his fortres

hts. Paintings line the walls. Real on

of it f

here alone

es

fami

ents ar

r is shor

nods

Two guards stand at the top.

es linge

weighed.

our wing,"

wi

s, but the hallway is l

ens a

am walls, tall windows, s

made

e anything you

plan to s

s flick

care

r suitcase

free to leav

es

u mean

udies

t force

e, what happen

lows answers her que

protected," Lu

tec

sa

lds he

your words

es

ndow and looks out

guards?"

nd out? T

sharply. "

t small new

t news

are

t of that

toward

t nine in t

r w

ement anno

mach ti

not part o

as im

was as

pau

ant to

nt co

hav

most l

ded mansion surrounded b

quietly, "you sti

eyes

s to look

oment, he

," he

es, she list

otstep

ilence

lowly aroun

e dresser,

she s

k dot near

me

est ti

ooks

ne near t

bt

n in

o the door

r stands the

, ma

d the cameras

n looks

ot know

ove

can

hy

der

eps back in

and stares at

ion or

, she coul

ement fee

e bathroom instea

stiff o

li

ight, her p

wn nu

ates then

el

le

man's

o

beautiful

ood ru

is

nt ch

house whi

ne goe

ands

he door and p

stand dow

," she say

ove in

nutes, he

a

cu

happ

ds up h

one c

akes

did he

ook beautifu

aw ti

nswer any

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ods

y he

N

yes s

ting in this

pa

h

in

s for her

through dim hall

ses th

ck

" he

't argue

is phone. Fast. Controll

g the

securit

does not match the

the call, she

this wou

es

t think to

ery threat, you w

sleepin

dies h

she tries

shaking,

ang

an shake

e stre

softly, "The

N

ew what I w

pau

t her toward a

feeds f

ans q

no breaches

en

e shift

h

tandin

ess," h

ha

white at

ind r

outside the

es it

ting us," he

sti

how we r

urns to fr

what

ys calmly, "

ow

eps c

reat, there i

like this

t

t am I?

her eyes

re the

differently th

e powerful

es

e also

es

le

me the board

sion shift

l," he

hy

earn the game, you

traig

oo

approval flicke

says, "you sta

h catches

't part of

re threats

hesi

n n

in

is rooms, she realize

s safer

e hate

ty, inside a quiet office

les fa

r than expected," he s

shifts be

deeper voi

get comf

is not cl

s wa