Chapter 105 The Razor's Edge

• "Always knew something was off with you, Maria," Mason tone carried a bit of admiration. "Green recruit to one of Leo's trusted lieutenants in three years? That's one helluva ride."
• Maria shrugged, the corners of her mouth lifting into a faint smile as if the comment didn’t bother her, but it also didn’t please her. "You've been itching to dig, Mason," she countered, each word carefully measured. "Wondering how Leo and I crossed paths. That curiosity's been eating you up worse than bottom-shelf whiskey on a cold Chicago night." Her eyes sparkled with a defiance that matched the strength simmering beneath her skin.
• "Questions like that could get a guy dead faster than yesterday’s beer, Maria." His gaze hardened, a wall rising against whatever intuition urged him to soften. "Wise people bury that kind of curiosity six feet under."