Page 101 of A Taste Of Darkness

“It’s so… bland,” she said, turning toward me. Her arms dropped to her sides, her eyebrows dipping into a sad frown.

“Yeah, I wasn’t allowed to show much personality,” I replied. “I didn’t even have one in the first place. My life consisted of criminal activities, ordering everyone around, attending boring meetings, and doing some more shady shit.”

Sterlie walked over to the window, sighing. “I really like the view.”

“Yeah, because an enormous garden and huge brick walls are just amazing.” It felt like a prison, only that I was way more privileged.

We had great food, and I could go outside whenever I wanted. I could do whatever I wanted… but I was trapped either way.

“It’s a very pretty garden.” Sterlie shrugged but she sounded only half convinced of her own words. “It looks very… rich. I mean, the view from your penthouse in Toronto is way better, but flowers aren’t bad, I guess.”

I walked up behind her, snuck my arms around her neck, and rested my chin on the top of her head. “You know you can still leave, right?” She nodded but remained silent. “You can have the penthouse… and Tartarus.”

It wasn’t like I was ever going to get back there anyway, and she was the only one I trusted to take care of Tartarus.

Though I opened that club solely to hide, over the years, it grew on me. It stressed me the fuck out, but I liked that place. It was that one place where nobody judged you for who you were or what you did.

Everyone was a little wrecked, and they accepted that.

And I especially loved watching those brutal criminals get quiet once Kai Auclaire entered the building. As much as I hated him as a person, without him, Tartarus was only half as entertaining. That was why I couldn’t terminate his membership even when he killed inside of the club regardless of the rule not to do it.

It was one simple rule, and he ignored it every single time someone came remotely close to Flora.

Also, he made me quite a bit of money because he always ordered the most expensive drinks and always had food in his hands, plus the membership fee.

Sterlie turned around, glaring up at me. “I don’t want the penthouse or Tartarus. I want to be with you, Milo.”

I cradled her face with my hands and caressed her slightly tinted cheeks with my thumbs. “There won’t be a single way out, cuore mio. Once you’re in, you’re in. Though unlikely, even if we’re no longer… engaged with?—”

She smiled. “You can say together.”

“Even if we’re no longer together, you can’t just leave. You’ll be stuck here. Forever.”

The smile from before faded. “I understand, and I don’t care.”

“This is not the place for you.”

“It’s about time I get a taste of darkness, don’t you think?” She stepped a little closer, removing my hands from her face. “I don’t care where I am or what conditions I have to survive under, as long as you’re there with me. And I suppose there are worse things than dating a mafia boss and living luxuriously. The illegal stuff sucks, and I’d rather not kill innocent people just because, but…” She shrugged, smiling again. “I am dating the boss after all, so I bet he can make an exception for me.”

My mouth opened, but before the first word made it past my lips, someone knocked at the door.

“Luca?” my sister spoke. “Are you in there?”

I froze in place. Earlier, she looked pretty pissed. While I knew I was mostly safe now, I thought Adriana would be the last person from my family to hate me for killing my father.

After all, she wanted him gone, too. With him dead, she no longer had to stay married to that guy she couldn’t even stand. I was going to get him executed.

“Who’s that?” Sterlie asked. Her beautiful blue eyes were staring at the door, fear or something concerning covering her face.

“My sister.”

“Aren’t you going to let her in?”

“Please, Luca. Can we talk?” Adriana sounded desperate.

I sighed. “Meet me in my office in an hour.”

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