or and into a room full of peop

resses, polished shoes, champagne flutes. A quartet played near the

m, Lucian Moretti welcomed a

kept w

d calm expression carried her past the first security check. The pistol beneath

ed twice at her face. She met his gaze wit

this moment for years. In those imaginings, she was never afraid. She never remembered the soun

ed around the stem

touched on a

only the casual interest of a man noticing a stranger. Raina

tor and was listening to a woman with a jeweled necklace

hem. The side passage offered another way out, but it was

a glass and brushed the man's shoulder, se

she said, reachi

lp. The nearby guard st

ipped pa

closed around his arm as if she were an invited guest greeti

a scene," sh

yed in place.

uld have finishe

licker-recognition, then caution-be

m. To anyone watching, it might have looked like a private co

the crowd, Raina drew the blade a

twitched. She

," she

then returned to her face. "Y

ght it

the

He had noticed the sh

e obse

ve to

blade against his ribs, careful not t

ucian lifted his free hand, signaling him

Lucia

n retr

e hated that Lucian saw it. She steadied he

id, "and I'll open you

ld y

es

d says ot

You don't know an

enough to kill me for seve

to know who

hy

hat Elias Hills's daug

shock. Not grief. Something quiet

s," h

emembe

mber th

shot

a breath-not from pain, she realized, but f

did

lie t

sto

gaze, the calculation. He was looking for a

"You put a gun to my father's head. He t

ere," Luc

han a denial. She held the blade ste

you ad

t I was

s not

I can giv

get to set

m the ballroom. Lucian's gaz

iting," Raina said.

e holding a kn

ll the one with

f you wanted to kill me, you'

plan. Then I

change s

ed me you'

e vanish

men b

eneath his jacket. A guard's shadow pass

t you?"

est list bro

ik

arrowed. "You

s for my

ar

carefully. "You'r

every man who w

tarting in the

und the hilt. "You exp

closer to the blade. "I e

mped. If Lucian called out, she might not reach the ballroo

e strike, the end of a name. Instead, her arm trembled. Rage and fear

mouth curved-not qui

eaning toward the blade,

raised the knife, furious at her

led agains

re your han