The night was heavy. The air smelled of salt, rust, and smoke. The dock was wide, dark, and wet. Big floodlights shone down from tall poles, their light white and sharp. The light cut shadows across the wood, long and scary like ghosts.
Aria stood in the middle. Her body was stiff, her chest too tight. She could not breathe well. Her hands felt cold, but inside her body, hot fire was running in her blood. She was between Lorenzo and Sebastian, two men who hated each other, two men ready to fight.
Sebastian's men came closer. They moved like a wall made of steel. Their guns were high. Their boots hit the dock in the same sound, like drum beats in a funeral song. They formed a full circle, closing every side. No way to run. No way to hide.
