Page 62 of The Last Vendetta

“To better keep her hidden?” I joined her outside, holding her hand and making sure she stood behind me as we walked up the path.

“Yeah,” she replied, looking around and scoping out the area like I did.

Together, we approached the looming mansion. No one stirred. Nothing jumped out at us. The lack of activity and noise was disconcerting. Even if Cecilia was here to hide, some sort of staff should be present.

Giulia tightened her fingers on my hand. She caught herself from gasping too loudly, but she’d noticed it first.

“The door.”

It remained open. Slightly ajar, the front door was left unattended. Unlocked.

I moved to shield Giulia from the doorway, more on guard and suspicious of this unusual setting. Cecilia was still the only daughter Marcus Romano had. She would need to be guarded no matter what, in marriage or not.

Giulia and I were the exceptions. We’d both run out on our own to keep our goals secretive, but it wasn’t the norm. With the positions we held, it was expected to always have security with us. The same applied to Cecilia.

On edge, we entered together. I kept my gun up and trained, prepared to kill to defend myself and Giulia.

The first guard was dead, shot multiple times.

Shit. I hadn’t counted on coming here to find a massacre. We might have arrived too late. If Cecilia was dead, there went our chances to get an answer today.

“Over there,” Giulia whispered, showing me the other guard, also shot dead. He lay sprawled in the hallway to our left.

I nodded, paying attention to where we walked in the silent house.

Or not so silent.

A low groan came from ahead.

Giulia and I shared a look, and we hurried forward to find Cecilia.

She lay on the floor, a puddle of blood pooling around her.

Even though we were here together, I had a last-minute second thought about having Giulia reveal herself. Until we could know who was friend or foe, I didn’t want to complicate anything for Giulia being here. If Cecilia could attest that she saw me with her brother’s intended, she could spoil our surprise too soon.

I meant it. I wanted Giulia for good. But I had to plan to make that happen accordingly.

She didn’t protest when I pushed her hand and indicated for her to wait in the alcove near where Cecilia lay gasping and wincing.

I walked forward, keeping my gun out. Just in case.

The woman had been stabbed. A bloody knife lay to the side. Streaks of crimson crisscrossed in splatters. As I neared her, the more gruesome it all looked.

She’d been stabbed in the stomach, sliced over her neck. Cut on her arms, perhaps a payment for trying to defend herself.

“Cecilia.”

She whimpered, looking up and seeing me at last. Keeping her head raised seemed too difficult, and with the gash on her cheek, cut from her eye to her jaw, I knew the girl was bleeding out fast.

“I didn’t mean it.”

I went still. Frozen in place as I crouched to hear her as she cried, I ignored the sickening squelch of her tears mixing with her blood. Her tear ducts were torn with the position of the cuts. It was gross. Macabre. Hideous.

But I had a strong stomach.

“You didn’t mean it?” I asked.

She sobbed, crying softly. Slumping to the ground, she nodded with her head on the bloody floor. “I didn’t mean to have him killed.”

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