Page 205 of Dark Romeo

“I’m afraid I am responsible,” Father Laurence stepped in from the doorway, joining us.

“The Father knew Roman was really alive,” I said quickly, in case my father turned on Father Laurence with anger.

Roman nodded. “He had to help fake my funeral.”

“So, when I begged him for something to end my life…”

“You what?” Both Roman and my father snapped their heads towards me, a mirrored image of shock and horror on their faces.

“I gave her Atropa Belladonna instead,” injected Father Laurence, “otherwise known as Sleeping Nightshade, an herb when prepared properly, mimics death.”

Roman grabbed my shoulders. “You were going to die for me?”

“You came here to die with me,” I reminded him.

His grip loosened. He lowered his forehead to touch mine. “Don’t ever die for me again,” he whispered.

I broke into a smile. “We will live for each other instead. I’ll come with you, we’ll leave Verona and go back to where you were sent under witness protection.”

“Julu,” my father exclaimed, “you don’t have to go with him.”

“Where he goes, I go,” I said firmly.

“But your job?—”

“You’ve suspended me,” I said. “Besides, I quit.”

“You can’t just throw away everything.”

“I’m not throwing away everything.” I turned to look at Roman. Once again, he left me breathless with his dark, intense stare and the midnight hair that curled over his collar. “I’m grabbing on to what’s important with both hands.”

My father sighed. “I’ve never been any good at telling you what to do, have I?” My father shot Roman a stern look. “You better take care of her.”

Roman straightened up. “I will, sir.”

“It is best that you stay ‘dead’, at least until the trials. The extradition request for your brother from Colombia is underway. The Tyrell empire will soon be dismantled piece by piece. I will try to expedite the court process, see if we can’t get you both back here any quicker, but it’ll take time.

“How much time?” I asked.

“A year. Maybe more.”

“A year?” We’d have to stay hidden for an entire year. We couldn’t come back to Verona for a whole year.

“A year is fine,” Roman said.

I snapped my head toward him. Was he crazy?

Roman smiled at me, a glint in his eyes. “I know just where we can go…”

ROMAN

____________

Julianna and I sat in the car parked on the side of the road in a leafy part of Verona, a familiar cottage with a faded blue door to my right.

We’d just stopped at Nora’s apartment and surprised the hell out of her. She screamed so loud that I was sure the entire population of Verona knew we were still alive. Hell, my ears were still ringing from her ruckus.

Jules and I agreed we would let Nonna know as well. It wasn’t fair to her if we didn’t. I could see the soft, cuddly frame of the woman who’d stepped in as a mother figure to me. The same woman whose grandson I’d sent to his grave. I couldn’t make myself get out of that car.

---