Chapter 27: The Fragile Fortress.Vincent Virenson.

The silence in my apartment wasn’t silence at all.

It was Caroline’s laughter echoing in the walls, Rudolpho’s smirk carved into the shadows, and Violet’s steady breathing behind me, a reminder that my so-called fortress wasn’t bulletproof.

I lit a cigarette out of habit, then cursed under my breath and stubbed it out in the sink. She hated the smell. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t smoke around her, and for once, I wanted to keep ...