DANTE
FLASH BACK
I sat in my office, watching the city as sunlight poured through the glass wall, and my reflection stared back faintly.
I turned in my chair and reached for the small lacquered box on my desk. The lid clicked open, releasing the faint smell of tobacco and cedar.
I took out a cigar, rolled it between my fingers, and clipped the tip before lighting it. The first drag burned the back of my throat just enough to wake me and I exhaled slowly, letting the smoke curl into the air.
The intercom buzzed.
“Mr. Devereux,” Helena’s voice came through. “Allister is here.”
“Send him in.”
A knock followed a few seconds later. I didn’t answer but he came in anyway.
Allister straightened his tie the moment he walked in. He tried to look confident, but I knew his type—men who hi
