Page 19 of Veil of Dust

Tiziano.

He doesn’t speak when he steps into view. Doesn’t make a show of it. He just walks in like he was always meant to be here. Like the fog knew to make space for him.

His steps aren’t loud, but they’re sure. Everything he does is deliberate. His coat swings at his sides as he moves. The streetlight above catches just enough to sharpen the lines of his face—his jaw, his shoulders, that collar turned up like it’s permanent.

His eyes move.

First, to the blood.

Then, to the body.

Then, to me.

“You’re marked,” he says.

His voice is lower than usual, rougher.

“Alfeo doesn’t bluff.” I take a drag, hold it. “Neither do I.”

He glances back at the man on the ground. “You handled it.”

“I didn’t ask for permission.”

He steps in closer—not pushing, not challenging.

Just getting within range.

I feel the heat coming off him before he even reaches me.

“I’m not here to stop you,” he says. “I’m here to tell you what’s next.”

“I’m not asleep,” I say. “Don’t need the bedtime story.”

He gives me a look. It’s not annoyed. It’s something heavier. He’s reading me like he’s trying to decide how much he’s allowed to admit.

The corner of his mouth moves, not quite a smile.

There’s something under it.

Tension.

Maybe guilt. Maybe respect. Maybe both.

“He’ll escalate,” Tiziano says. “This wasn’t a message. It was a test.”

I nod at the body. “He failed.”

“He won’t send another pawn next time.”

“Then he can send someone with better aim.”

Tiziano steps in again. My back is already to the wall. He doesn’t touch me, but he’s close now. He’s in my space.

“You need someone watching your back,” he says.

“What I need is a clean floor and people who don’t lie.”

His eyes narrow. “You think I lied?”

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