Page 153 of Milo

Not anymore.

I'm a fucking queen.

And queens don't cry.

They don't.

I walk past Milo, needing to get off this damn boat.

Chapter 40

The Light Inside

"Kiara, slow down," Milo calls out after me as I rush up the unlit walkway toward the black SUV idling on the street. "Kiara, be careful!" I stop at the top of the bridge, waiting for him to catch up. Milo grabs my shaking hands, scanning my face. "You're hurt, you need to slow down."

"I'm fine," I say in a trembling tone, my eyes welling up. "I just want to get home, slap Vittoria, and go to sleep." A flood of tears roll down my face. Holy shit, what is happening to me? I wipe away the tears, wincing as I accidentally touch the wound on my cheek. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying, I'm okay, really. I don't know?—"

"Shh, it's okay," he whispers, pulling me against his chest, his fingers gripping the back of my head. "I am so sorry, tesoro. This is all my fault. I should have never doubted you; I should have believed you."

"I had no proof," I sniffle, fisting the sides of his jacket, my body unable to pick a fucking mood. "I get it, Milo. You were just trying to be cautious; you were trying to?—"

"No," he hums into my hair, his arms tightening around me. "There is no excuse. I was wrong and I was almost too late. If I came just a minute later—" His jaw clenches. "I cannot say it."

I'd be dead.

"How—how did you know where I was?" I take a deep breath and pray that my body powers down. I peer up at him through damp lashes. "Are there sensors on the boat or something? You pointed to the cameras."

"No, Marchello disabled the sensors and the cameras. I only turned them back on when I saw your location." Milo brushes a piece of hair away from my face, the strand sticking to the drying blood on my cheek. "Fucking hell, Kiara, you might need stitches. We must see Aldo first before anything else."

I frown. "What do you mean you saw my location? I don't have a phone with me."

He swallows, his weary gaze fluttering down to my Nana's necklace.

"What?" I look down and open the locket, a tiny red flashing light shining through my nana's photo. Oh, God. "Seriously? You put a tracking device in here? Milo!"

"I did it to protect you, Kiara," he says, his voice faint, timid. "To keep you safe." He pauses, taking a breath. "I tried calling you again earlier, but your phone went to voicemail, and I knew something was wrong." He runs the tip on his index finger across the locket. "For this, I am not sorry. I'm not."

"Although I don't appreciate being tagged like some animal, I suppose I can't really be mad, it's served its purpose.'' I expel a deep sigh, twisting the necklace between my fingers. "Good thing I didn't take it off and wear your mom's necklace. I'd probably be fish food by now."

"Kiara—"

"Can we please go?" I open the car door and hop inside, pain thudding in the back of my skull. "My head hurts."

"Of course." Milo slides in beside me, reaching for my hand. He hesitates for a moment before whispering, "Kiara, I appreciate your loyalty to me, but you should have taken the money."

"What?"

"The money Marchello was offering.” His hand dwarfs mine as I rest against his shoulder, crisp air blowing through the cracked windows. "You should have taken it. I am not worth dying over."

"Yeah? Would you have taken the money?" My heart rate slows down as I glance up at Milo. "If the roles were reversed, what would you have done?" He doesn't respond, avoiding eye contact. "That's what I thought."

"It is different…” He looks out of the window at the bright full moon. "Your life is more precious than mine, Kiara. You are more worthy of life. I would die a thousand deaths if it meant you'd be able to live just one."

I can see it. An intricate woven chain. One end is wrapped around his heart, the other around mine. We're tethered. Bound together by fate, by destiny, by the blessings of angels. We're connected in a way that defies death, defies circumstance, defies logic.

"It doesn't work like that anymore," I whisper, shaking my head as I take in his solemn features. "I love you, Milo. Your life is my life, so I forbid you to die, do you understand? You have to promise me that you will never leave me. That you will stay with me until it's our time to go, no sooner."

"I would never dream of leaving you.” He hesitates for a second before arching down and giving me a soft, heavenly kiss. "Sei la cosa più bella che mi sia mai capitata. Ti amo, Kiara." He brushes his thumb across my lips. "You are my light, tesoro, without you, I would be lost."

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