Roses never fade

Rossi'

s of a gala and more of a b

supposed

icitly told me

ssuming Dante had simply forgotten to pass along the invite. I co

, half-hidden in the shadow

the room. He didn't just occu

king. Lethal. Han

was right

n his bicep, her lips brushing his ear

osphere shifted.

hey were drunk, their voices too loud, completely

d Sofia's arm, his

eered, slurring his words. "Daddy's broke

that cut through the no

ster than cons

sted violently. The sickening cra

chaos

swarmed

very well s

in no position to wage a war. It would pu

way, his face contorte

f!" Dant

earing a perimeter to form a

dn't

forward, instinctively reaching ou

ammed into my chest

w bac

sharp edge of th

white light explod

the floor, my

ickled down my n

ed, the air knock

sn't look

irely focused on Sofia,

d her, his voice franti

his collar. "I think I sprained it.

esitation, he scoope

d right

ight into the fresh drops of blood

n't lo

were made of porcelain, leaving me blee

nd myself in the p

sti

he needle piercing my skin momentarily distract

ll night, staring at the door

did

orning, my

03, now." Dante's voice wa

re I could utte

he bandages and hailed a cab, my head stil

vate room, the air was thi

hand. Sofia sat next to him, one foot propped up on a

Impeccable, like a pu

n't recognize at all. His eyes were dead, s

n," he

ggling to keep my voice stead

te said low, his tone dark and

n

id. "She says she saw you signal the

Sofia in s

Elena, I know you're jealous. But hiring men to scare

tically hit

fighting to keep my sanity, and asked. "Dante, I was s

mmed his hand on the table,

lin

, Elena," he roared. "You were

whispered, even though I kn

in the air like a guillotine blade. "Because of what yo

rc

nted a

ng no room for argument. "Get on