ty Rom

e polished calfskin of Garold's shoes, s

om fell into a su

. No one dar

n slowly raised his head. The storm in his dar

pulled a silk handkerchief from her clutch, frantically trying to wip

ed, looking up at me with pitiful, accusing eyes. "He just wa

spare her a

hidden zipper of the midnight-blue velvet gown, an

blew wide wi

o wrap the heavy black wool around my bare shoulde

d trembling, trying des

ing the sixty-thousand-dollar velvet gow

ore only an opaque, kne

puddle of ruined fabric, looki

ful little mistress, didn't you? It's yours no

ld f

rtips, his face ashen, looking at my bare back as

ved ins

and draped it over my shoulders, wrapping me

e at Garold. "One day, Peck, you're going to be on your knees in th

d of gaping socialites, leading m

shut behind us, the artificial str

rp, ragged breaths of freezing air. My vision blurred with hot tear

eat, and climbed behind the wheel. He pulled a clean line

Feli. You don't have

fist. "I'm not crying for h

pulling away from the curb

ast the tinted window. "Divorce. Co

on Hill brownstone, my phone began vibra

ayed "Walter Vance"

d speak

ity! You useless little bitch! What the hell did you do tonight?! Peck Sports Grou

y tone completely flat. "That's your business

made it clear-you publicly humiliated him at the museum! He wants you to go home! You get your ass over to his est

opped into a

k spot was, and he was using Wal

dropping to a lethal whis

ce you were eight came from my pocke

ne wen

heel. "That old parasite... Do you want me to send

to hide the exhaustion. "Thank you

Ezra's coat tightly around my silk s

headlights of a black Maybach clicked

. He was pacing beside his

, the thin veneer of his control snapped completely. He dropped his half-smoked cigarette into the slush,

ted with sickening intensity

he couldn't hide. "Did you really let Norton drive you home? Is that what this is a