I hear the familiar chime of bells, and my sweet Chéri asks, “Who’s there?” When I try to scream, Varon presses a cloth over my mouth and nose.
“I told you I don’t take threats lightly.”
The next moment, I wake in his warehouse, bound and gagged, just before his men dump me in the river.
* * *
Antoine’s feral howl emanates from Mitchell’s mouth as he races toward Varon’s recurrent image, swinging rapidly through his intangible figure. Varon’s oblivious, untouched. Antoine swings out his anger until it subsides, facing Bleu with tears glossing his eyes.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you. I didn’t know,” he says, dropping his head to his chest. “All this time. I should have killed Varon the day I set foot in his office. I knew he was lying.”
“You’re not a murderer like him. T
