Smoke clung to her skin long after they left the gallery.
It lingered in her lungs, a cruel reminder that Cassiel Dain had slipped through her fingers again. She'd been close........close enough to smell the woman's perfume, to feel the burn of her presence but close wasn’t enough. Not for justice. Not for what Cassiel had taken.
Valentina sat on the edge of the hotel bed, staring at the bruises blooming across her arms. Adrian paced the room behind her, his tension thick, barely contained.
"You hesitated."
She spoke the words without looking at him.
He stopped. "I saved your life."
"You still hesitated."
"You were exposed...."
"And Cassiel was right in front of us."
Adrian dragged a hand through his hair. "If you want someone who shoots first, you know where to find Vane."
Her j
