Page 6 of Beautiful Vows

He nods. “And everything else. I’ll give you everything. Are you ready?”

I gnaw on my bottom lip to stop the quiver that’s suddenly started. “I don’t know.”

His face softens, like he wants to hug me, hold me until I feel brave again. “You need to trust me right now. I earned that by giving you my gun.”

Or plain stupid.

I don't say it out loud. The item in his safe is much more important right now.

“Does the video give me answers?” Will I find the truth or further heartache? “Or more questions?”

Answers win.

“Hard answers.”

I don’t know what he means by that, but I’ll take a chance. I have to. My mother wins.

“But you'll find out the answers she wanted you to have,” he adds.

I lower the gun as I try to comprehend what he has for me. “She specifically left me a video?” Tears spring to my eyes. I don’t want them to, but I can’t help it.

He nods.

“Okay.” I whisper, my voice trembling with fear.

“And I’ll give you all our letters. Everything we shared,” he continues, his voice shaky and filled with genuine emotion.

Our letters?

My eyes meet his as I take in his words.

“I loved her. Still love her.” He nods at the gun, which is no longer pointing at him. “And if you kill me once you’ve watched the video, it means I protected you for as long as I could.”

I stand and walk to the wall as my heart pounds in my chest. He’s giving me the chance to kill him afterwards. I can’t kill him with him looking at me and waiting for it. I’m not that kind of killer. Unless…

“Will I have reason to kill you afterward?”

“I’ll let you decide.” The truth of his words clashing with the confusion that is swirling within me.

I press my free hand on my thigh, rubbing the ache that is morphing into pain.

Antonio notices the grimace on my face, and asks, “Will you take a seat again?”

With a heavy sigh, I step forward before sitting. I wait.

Antonio’s gaze softens before he reveals, “She knew she was going to be killed.” His words cut through the silence. The world she lived in seems unimaginable, but it’s a world I’m now part of. “She needed to talk to you before that happened.”

Icy fingers slide down my spine.

“No,” I whisper as I turn to Dominic, who is sitting quietly in the corner.

“He’s telling you the truth,” he says with a nod.

A lump forms in my throat, blocking my airwaves. I gasp, my breath catching as I whisper, “Before you killed her?”

I twist from Dominic to Antonio, back to Dominic, waiting for an answer.

“Are you ready to watch the video?” Antonio asks, not answering my question.

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