Stany Falcone -

Behind her, Renata looked pale. “She walked right past the front guards. Past the dogs. Past the electronic locks. No one stopped her.”

“Stany—If you’re reading this, I’m already gone. And I deserved it. But the girl is innocent. She doesn’t know what I did. She only knows her papa loved her. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m asking for you to be the man you could have been, once, before you became this. Keep her safe. It’s the only debt you still owe.” Stany Falcone

Stany Falcone, who had never let the sun set on a debt, folded the letter carefully and placed it in his breast pocket. Then he knelt—something he hadn’t done in twenty years—until his eyes were level with hers. Behind her, Renata looked pale

The room dimmed. The far wall flickered to life. Past the electronic locks

“Your father and I had a disagreement,” Stany said carefully.

“Don’t ever become like me.”

“I know,” Elena said. She opened the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper. “He wrote me a letter before he… before he went away. He said if I ever needed to be safe, I should come to you.”