{"id":1767,"date":"2026-10-31T00:28:24","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T00:28:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amazingworlds.xyz\/?p=1767"},"modified":"2026-10-31T00:28:25","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T00:28:25","slug":"the-devils-only-safe-haven-a-place-where-even-darkness-finds-shelter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amazingworlds.xyz\/?p=1767","title":{"rendered":"The Devil\u2019s Only Safe Haven: A Place Where Even Darkness Finds Shelter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chapter 1 – The Stranger’s Lap
<\/strong>The first time I sat on Dante Valenti’s lap, three men reached for their guns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second time, he asked me to stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the first time, I was running for my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Not from a stranger in an alley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not from a masked man with a knife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From someone who had spent two years telling everyone he loved me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nora!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cameron’s voice cut through the music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn’t look back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back was how he caught you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He’d smile, tilt his head, and speak in that patient voice he used when other people were listening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweetheart, you’re confused again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he’d put a hand on my arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not hard enough for anyone to notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just hard enough that I couldn’t leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tonight, I had already escaped him once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’d slipped out of our apartment while he was showering, taken the emergency cash I’d hidden inside an old paperback, and caught a cab downtown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forty-two dollars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A dead disposable phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One missed bus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was everything I had left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And somehow, Cameron had found me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The underground nightclub was called Saint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It occupied the lower two floors of a converted bank, all marble pillars, red velvet, and chandeliers that looked as though they had been stolen from a European palace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The music was loud enough to rattle my ribs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I pushed between two women near the bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My red hair had escaped its braid. My white blouse was wrinkled, and the cheap black skirt I’d worn to work that morning had a torn hem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked nothing like the women surrounding me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They wore diamonds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wore a silver necklace shaped like a little bird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My mother had given it to me when I turned eighteen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She’d told me birds didn’t need permission to leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hadn’t understood why she said it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I understood now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nora!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I glanced toward the main exit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two security guards stood near the doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond them, Cameron was moving through the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He wore a navy suit and a familiar smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A handsome man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A respectable man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kind of man strangers trusted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His eyes found mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He lifted one hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost affectionate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My stomach turned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I ran in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The service hallway was blocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The back entrance had a keypad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then I saw the VIP section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three steps above the main floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A velvet rope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two enormous security guards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind them, several men gathered around a curved leather booth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only one was sitting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He wore a black suit with no tie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His dark hair was brushed back, and his broad shoulders filled the corner of the booth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black ink climbed the side of his neck, disappearing beneath his collar. More tattoos covered the hand resting beside a crystal glass of whiskey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A scar cut through his right eyebrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He wasn’t smiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He wasn’t speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet everyone around him seemed to be waiting for him to do one or the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn’t know who he was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I only knew Cameron wouldn’t dare make a scene in front of men like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I did something incredibly stupid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I ducked beneath the velvet rope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One guard turned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Miss\u2014”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I slipped past him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climbed the three steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crossed the booth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And dropped directly onto the stranger’s lap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three men reached inside their jackets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I grabbed the stranger’s lapels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I’m sorry.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His body went completely still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For one terrible second, I thought I’d made the worst mistake of my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he raised two fingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The men stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger looked down at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His eyes were dark brown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost black.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up close, he was even more intimidating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A strong jaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A short, neatly trimmed beard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A faint scar beside his mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And a face that belonged on the cover of an expensive magazine about men who owned things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He studied me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not with surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not with amusement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the cold attention of someone deciding whether I was dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Who are you?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His voice was deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I swallowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nora.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nora what?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Bennett.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His gaze moved over my face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My tangled hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My trembling mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The faint red mark around my wrist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something changed in his expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Cameron reached the stairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nora.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My entire body locked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger felt it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I knew he did because his eyes shifted toward the man standing below us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cameron smiled apologetically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Sorry about this, gentlemen.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nobody answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“She’s my girlfriend. She’s been having a difficult evening.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I couldn’t breathe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Come on, sweetheart.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He extended his hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Let’s go home.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger beneath me didn’t move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cameron laughed softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“She’s a little confused when she gets upset.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few people were watching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I recognized the routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gentle voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The embarrassed smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The carefully chosen words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cameron never said I was crazy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He let everyone else reach that conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Do you want to go with him?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His voice was so quiet I almost missed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I shook my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Use your words.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Are you sure?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My eyes burned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Yes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hand that had settled briefly at my waist lifted away, leaving me free to move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then the stranger looked toward Cameron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“She said no.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cameron’s smile faltered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“With respect, sir, you don’t understand the situation.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Then explain it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“She’s not well.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger tilted his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Is she injured?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cameron blinked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Has she been drinking?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No, but\u2014”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Has she threatened anyone?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Of course not.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Then what exactly is confusing you?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the men beside the booth looked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I suspected he was hiding a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cameron straightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Look, I appreciate your concern, but this is a private matter.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger reached for his whiskey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Took a slow sip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then set the glass down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Not anymore.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cameron’s face changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time that night, I saw genuine uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Do you know who I am?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger looked bored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cameron’s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I’m Cameron Hale.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No reaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“My father is Senator Richard Hale.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger leaned back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Congratulations.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone behind him coughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I almost laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Cameron looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I saw it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The promise in his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’ll pay for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My breath caught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger noticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He turned slightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Marco.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the men stepped forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Boss?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Escort Mr. Hale downstairs.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cameron stared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Excuse me?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He’s leaving.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This is ridiculous.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You’re still here.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marco stepped forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cameron glanced at the guards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His expression softened into something almost tender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nora, sweetheart. You’re making a mistake.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He lowered his voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You know what happens when you do this.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger’s expression changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not dramatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His jaw tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Marco.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Yes, boss.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Now.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cameron was escorted toward the stairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He didn’t fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was too intelligent for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before disappearing into the crowd, he turned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And smiled at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The smile was worse than a threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because I knew what it meant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He wasn’t finished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For several seconds, nobody spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then the stranger looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Are you planning to stay there all night?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I realized I was still sitting on his lap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Oh my God.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I scrambled upright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I’m so sorry.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He watched me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I believe you mentioned that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I didn’t mean to\u2014”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Sit on a stranger?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Yes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Interrupt a meeting?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Also yes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nearly give my security team a heart attack?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I glanced at the three enormous men surrounding us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“They look healthy.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A beat of silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then the man to his left laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actually laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger turned his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The laughter stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I pressed my lips together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apparently jokes were not encouraged in this particular corner of Chicago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I’m leaving,” I whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I took one step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The room tilted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My knees weakened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I could fall, a hand caught my elbow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not painfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firmly enough to steady me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger stood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was enormous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least six feet three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standing beside him, I felt absurdly small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He looked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When did you last eat?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I blinked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Food, Nora.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I know what food is.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Then answer.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I swallowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Yesterday.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His expression hardened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Yesterday when?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Morning.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stared at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then turned toward the man who had laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Matteo.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Yeah?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Get her something to eat.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matteo glanced at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Anything specific?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger looked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Are you allergic to anything?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Shellfish.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matteo nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Got it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stared after him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then looked at the stranger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You don’t have to do that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I know.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I can pay.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His gaze moved to my worn shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My cheap purse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tear in my skirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then back to my face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Keep your money.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My cheeks burned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I wasn’t asking for charity.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Good. I wasn’t offering charity.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Then what are you offering?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He studied me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dinner.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That’s it?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“For now.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those two words made my stomach tighten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I glanced toward the stairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Is Cameron really gone?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“From this building.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I swallowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He’ll wait outside.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Possibly.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He knows where I live.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Do you want to go there?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Then don’t.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I almost laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As though it were that simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As though ordinary people could simply refuse the things that frightened them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You don’t understand.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His expression didn’t change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You’re right.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The admission surprised me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I don’t know you. I don’t know him. And I don’t know what happened before you came through that door.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He paused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“But I know what I saw.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My throat tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A woman running from someone who frightened her.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a moment, I couldn’t speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I whispered, “He always tells people I’m confused.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger was quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I forced a laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He says I forget things. That I overreact. That I imagine conversations.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My voice broke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Sometimes he says it so often that I start wondering whether he’s right.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger’s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Has he hurt you?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked at the red mark on my wrist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Not in a way anyone believes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something cold moved through his expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when he spoke, his voice remained controlled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Sit down, Nora.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Why?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Because you’re shaking.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked at my hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I sat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not beside him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the opposite end of the booth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He didn’t object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matteo returned with a plate of pasta, warm bread, and a glass of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stared at the food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You ordered all this?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matteo grinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Boss said feed you. I take instructions seriously.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Apparently.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He placed the plate before me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Eat before he starts looking at everyone like we’re incompetent.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I glanced at the stranger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was already speaking quietly with another man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Is he always like that?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matteo followed my gaze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Like what?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Terrifying.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matteo considered it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Only when he’s awake.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A real laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It surprised me so much that I covered my mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger looked over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For half a second, something almost warm crossed his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then it disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I ate slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pasta was delicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until the first bite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger sat across from me now, reviewing something on his phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every few minutes, someone approached him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A man in an expensive suit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A woman with a clipboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A security guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They all spoke quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They all waited for his answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And they all called him boss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, curiosity overcame common sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What’s your name?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He looked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man beside him went still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger studied me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You really don’t know?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Should I?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matteo made a strangled sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stranger ignored him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dante.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dante what?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He leaned back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Valenti.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My fork stopped halfway to my mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I knew that name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone in Chicago knew that name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante Valenti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Owner of luxury hotels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shipping companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Private clubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commercial real estate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, according to every rumor I’d ever heard, the man who controlled the city’s most powerful Italian-American criminal organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He watched my expression change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then raised one eyebrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There it is.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I swallowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You’re Dante Valenti.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Apparently.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Dante Valenti.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I wasn’t aware there were several.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked toward the exit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then back at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Oh my God.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matteo laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That’s usually the reaction.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I pressed my hands against my face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I sat on a mafia boss.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Dante said dryly, “You did.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I lowered my hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Am I going to die?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matteo burst out laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante gave him one look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Dante turned back to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Not because you sat on my lap.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That’s not as reassuring as you think.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time, Dante Valenti smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just one corner of his mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it transformed his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that frightened me more than anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because for one impossible second, I forgot I was afraid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At one fifteen in the morning, I finished eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The club was beginning to empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante stood near the windows, speaking with Gabriel Torres, his head of security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remained at the booth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My purse rested beside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forty-two dollars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A dead phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No home I could safely return to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No family I could call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My mother had died when I was nineteen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My father had disappeared long before that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Cameron had spent two years making sure every friendship I had eventually became a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hated how frightening that realization felt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Do you have somewhere safe to go?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Yes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He studied me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Where?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A friend’s.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Name?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Why?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Because I don’t believe you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He sat opposite me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nora.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hated the way he said my name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not because it sounded threatening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because it sounded like he expected an honest answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I was so tired of lying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No,” I whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His expression didn’t change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No what?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I don’t have anywhere.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a moment, he was silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he took out his phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Gabriel.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The security chief approached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Boss.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Find a room at the Meridian.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gabriel nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Understood.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked up sharply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante turned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I can’t afford a hotel.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You won’t be paying.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I don’t want to owe you anything.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His gaze held mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Then don’t.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The room is yours for tonight. Tomorrow, you can decide what you want to do.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I shook my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“People don’t just help strangers.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante was quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he said, “Sometimes they do.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wanted to believe him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God, I wanted to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Cameron had been kind once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He’d brought me flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Made me breakfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Told me I was the only woman he’d ever loved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cruelty didn’t always arrive wearing an ugly face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes it wore the face of someone beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked at Dante.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Why are you helping me?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He studied me for a long moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Because you asked me for protection without knowing who I was.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My throat tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And you looked more frightened of going home than you were of sitting in a room full of armed men.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That tells me enough for tonight.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gabriel returned ten minutes later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The room is ready.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante stood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we approached the stairs, a woman stepped into our path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was tall, elegant, and perhaps forty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her dark hair was pulled into a sleek bun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She wore a burgundy dress and carried a tablet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dante.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Isabella.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her gaze moved to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then to my torn skirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then back to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something unreadable crossed her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Your guest?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“For tonight.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Interesting.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I suddenly felt ridiculous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A frightened waitress in cheap shoes standing beside a man who probably owned more buildings than I had pairs of socks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stepped back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I can leave on my own.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nobody said you couldn’t.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isabella’s expression softened slightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I’m Isabella Russo,” she said. “I manage the club.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nora.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then looked at Dante.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There’s something you need to know.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His expression changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then glanced at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Privately.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante turned toward Gabriel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Stay with Nora.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he followed Isabella toward the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stood beside Gabriel near the entrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was a large man with close-cropped hair and a scar along his jaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike Matteo, he didn’t smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Does he do this often?” I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gabriel looked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Do what?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Rescue strange women.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Never?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Not like this.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I swallowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Should I be worried?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He considered the question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then said, “You should be careful.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Of Dante?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gabriel looked toward the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Of anyone who offers you safety before you know what they want.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was not the answer I expected from Dante Valenti’s own security chief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I could respond, the office door opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante emerged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His expression had changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The faint warmth was gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He looked cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dangerously cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He approached Gabriel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Bring the car around.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gabriel nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Dante looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nora.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something in his voice made me straighten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Yes?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Did Cameron Hale know you were coming here tonight?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Are you certain?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I didn’t even know this club existed until an hour ago.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante studied my face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then looked toward Isabella.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She held a tablet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the screen was a security photograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A man entering the club through a private service corridor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I recognized him immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not Cameron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A man with silver hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A man I’d seen only once before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Cameron’s apartment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standing beside a locked filing cabinet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man who had looked at me and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“She doesn’t know anything, does she?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I took a step back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante noticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You recognize him.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I couldn’t speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nora.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Who is he?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante’s expression darkened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“His name is Victor Sloane.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I shook my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I don’t know him.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“But you’ve seen him.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Yes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Where?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I swallowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“At Cameron’s apartment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante went completely still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For several seconds, nobody spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he looked at Isabella.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Show her the second image.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She swiped the screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another photograph appeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time, Victor Sloane stood beside Cameron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And between them was a woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red-haired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My heart stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I knew that face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I knew those eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tiny scar beneath her chin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My voice sounded far away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I reached for the tablet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No, that’s impossible.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante watched me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nora?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My knees weakened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the woman standing beside Cameron Hale in that photograph was my mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My mother, who had supposedly died seven years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My mother, whose funeral I had attended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My mother, whose ashes I had scattered into Lake Michigan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And according to the timestamp in the corner of the photograph\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She had walked into Dante Valenti’s nightclub eleven days earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked up at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My voice broke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Why does Cameron know my mother?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante didn’t answer immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time since I’d met him, the most powerful man in the room looked genuinely unsettled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he said something that made my blood run cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Because, Nora…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He glanced at the photograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 2 – A Ghost in Red<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“My mother is dead.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nobody in the VIP corridor spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I pointed at the photograph again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“She died seven years ago. I watched them carry her coffin into the chapel.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante Valenti looked at me with an expression I couldn’t read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Who identified her body?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question made my stomach turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“My aunt.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Did you see her?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I opened my mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The funeral had been closed-casket. My aunt Patricia said the accident had been too terrible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No,” I whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante looked at Gabriel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Find the funeral records.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stepped back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You can’t just investigate my mother.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You’re right.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That surprised me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He turned to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“May I?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a moment, I stared at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man owned the building. Every guard obeyed him. He could have made the call without asking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Why?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Because somebody lied to you, Nora. I’d like to know who.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked at the photograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My mother wore a red coat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She looked older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But unmistakably alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Okay,” I whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante nodded once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gabriel left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Meridian Hotel occupied the upper floors of a historic building overlooking the Chicago River.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My room was larger than the apartment Cameron and I had shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were white roses on the table, cream-colored curtains, and a bathroom with heated marble floors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stood in the doorway, afraid to touch anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matteo carried my suitcase inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Anything else?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Do you have a vending machine?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He blinked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A what?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Never mind.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He grinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There’s a kitchen downstairs. Ask for whatever you want.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Even potato chips?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Especially potato chips.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he left, I locked the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then checked the windows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then checked the closet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then the bathroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hated myself for doing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hated Cameron more for teaching me to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My phone was dead, but the hotel had provided a charger. I connected it and watched the screen flicker awake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twenty-three missed calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourteen messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All from Cameron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

YOU KNOW I ONLY GET ANGRY BECAUSE I LOVE YOU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I deleted nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, I took screenshots and emailed them to an old account Cameron didn’t know existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For once, I wanted evidence of what had happened to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At three in the morning, somebody knocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Who is it?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dante.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I approached the door but didn’t open it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What do you want?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“To tell you something.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Can it wait?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Yes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he added, “Your mother was using the name Evelyn Shaw when she entered Saint.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My fingers tightened around the doorknob.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evelyn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My mother’s real name was Evelyn Bennett.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Why are you telling me this now?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Because you deserve to know what we found.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I leaned against the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Did you find her?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Then I want to sleep.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“All right.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His footsteps retreated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I waited until I couldn’t hear them anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I slid down the door and cried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next morning, a woman named Isabella Russo arrived with breakfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was the club manager I’d met the night before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today she wore a cream pantsuit and carried a tray of coffee and pastries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dante asked me to check on you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I folded my arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Does he send employees to check on all his hotel guests?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Then why me?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isabella placed the tray down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That’s a question you should ask him.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I studied her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Do you trust him?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She considered it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“With my life.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That’s a strong answer.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He’s earned it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then she smiled faintly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That doesn’t mean he’s harmless.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I appreciated the distinction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At noon, Dante called.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Have you eaten?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Is that how you answer every conversation?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Only the important ones.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked at the untouched pastries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Some.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Good.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he said, “I have information about your mother.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My heart jumped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“She worked for a charitable organization called the Northbridge Foundation.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I’ve never heard of it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Most people haven’t.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What does it do?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Officially? Housing assistance and emergency support for vulnerable families.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And unofficially?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His silence answered before his words did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Money disappeared. So did witnesses.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I sat down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Was my mother involved?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That’s what I’m trying to determine.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stared at the wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Why were you looking for her?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Dante said, “Because she was the last person to see my younger brother alive.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My breath caught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You have a brother?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Had.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The word landed heavily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What happened?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Six years ago, Adrian Valenti disappeared.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I swallowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And you think my mother knows why?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Yes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked toward the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chicago glittered beneath the afternoon sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A beautiful city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A dangerous city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A city full of people who could vanish without leaving anything behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Then we need to find her.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dante’s voice changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Yes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nora, this isn’t something you should involve yourself in.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“My dead mother just walked into your nightclub, Dante. I think I’m already involved.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he said, “Fair point.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That afternoon, Cameron appeared on television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A local news station showed him standing outside a police precinct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He looked exhausted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Devastated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“My girlfriend is missing,” he told the cameras. “She’s been struggling emotionally. I’m concerned someone may be taking advantage of her.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My blood went cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He held up a photograph of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A photograph taken at Christmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was smiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His arm was around my shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We just want Nora home.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then my phone rang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unknown number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I answered before I could think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nora.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cameron’s voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gentle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Familiar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Sweetheart.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I couldn’t breathe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“How did you get this number?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He ignored the question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You’re frightening everyone.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked toward the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I’m not coming back.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A soft sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You’re confused.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nora, please.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His voice lowered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You don’t understand what you’ve walked into.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My fingers trembled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What does that mean?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Cameron said something that stopped my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Your mother should have stayed dead.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The line disconnected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stared at the phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then ran for the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because suddenly I understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cameron hadn’t found me at Saint by accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And my mother hadn’t disappeared from my life by accident either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone had arranged both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I was standing in the middle of it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 1 – The Stranger’s LapThe first time I sat on Dante Valenti’s lap, three men reached for their guns. The second time, he asked […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-model","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amazingworlds.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amazingworlds.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amazingworlds.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amazingworlds.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amazingworlds.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1767"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/amazingworlds.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1771,"href":"https:\/\/amazingworlds.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1767\/revisions\/1771"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amazingworlds.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amazingworlds.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amazingworlds.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amazingworlds.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}