Page 46 of Cursed Confessions

James watches us with wide, fearful eyes as he gropes for the door. “I should go, let you two talk?—”

Jonah whirls on him, his face contorted with fury. “Where do you think you’re going? You want Sofia for yourself, don’t you? Want to play daddy to my daughter?”

“What? No, man, I’m just the insurance agent,” James stammers, his face pale with fear.

“Liar!” Jonah roars, lunging at James with unexpected speed.

I scramble for my phone, dialing 911 with trembling fingers. “Please, hurry to Perfezione. There’s a man here, he’s dangerous—” I manage to get out before the phone slips from my grasp.

A violent scuffle breaks out between Jonah and James. Displays crash to the floor, fabric rips, and the air fills with the sounds of grunts and desperate gasps. I look up just in time to see Jonah remove a knife from his jacket.

“No!” I scream, but it’s too late. Jonah plunges the weapon into James repeatedly, blood spattering across the floor and nearby fabrics.

I watch in horror, frozen in place, as James crumples to the ground. His eyes meet mine for a brief moment, filled with pain and confusion, before they glaze over.

Jonah, wild-eyed and blood-spattered, looks at me for a split second. His chest heaves with exertion, and there’s a terrifying emptiness in his gaze. Then, without a word, he bolts out the door, the bell jingling incongruously in his wake.

As sirens wail in the distance, I rush to James’s side, my hands hovering uselessly over his bleeding form. “James? James, can you hear me?” I plead, but there’s no response.

The reality of what just happened crashes over me in waves of shock and terror. The smell of blood mingles with the lingering scent of smoke from the fire, creating a nauseating cocktail that threatens to overwhelm me.

I force myself to take deep breaths, trying to think clearly through the panic. Jonah is gone, but the threat of what he might do next looms large. I need to warn Angelo. We need to protect Lou.

With shaking hands, I retrieve my phone from where it fell. There’s a crack across the screen, but it still works. I dial Angelo’s number, praying he’ll answer.

“Fee?” his voice comes through, tinged with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Angelo,” I choke out, my voice breaking. My chest is heaving with erratic gasps as I glance down at James’s still form. “It's Jonah. He… he was here. He killed someone. He’s coming for Lou.”

Oh, God. I just saw someone getmurdered.

I’m going to throw up.

There’s a sharp intake of breath on the other end. “Where are you now? Are you safe?”

“I’m at Perfezione,” I say nearly hysterically. “The police are on their way, but Angelo… I’m scared. What if he gets to Lou before we can?”

“Listen to me, Fee.” Angelo’s voice is calm but urgent. “I’m on my way. I’ll call the school and have them put Lou in lockdown. No one’s getting near her, I promise.”

As I hear the sirens getting closer, I nod, even though Angelo can’t see me. “Okay. Okay. Please hurry.”

“I will. Stay where you are. Don’t go after him yourself, Fee. Promise me.”

“I promise,” I whisper, even as every instinct screams at me to run to Lou.

As I end the call, I look around the shop. The place that’s been my sanctuary, my livelihood, is now a crime scene. James’s body lies still on the floor, a stark reminder of how quickly things can go wrong.

But as the first police car pulls up outside, I steel myself. Jonah’s out there, unstable and dangerous. And I’ll be damned if I let him anywhere near our daughter.

Whatever it takes, we’ll keep Lou safe. Even if it means facing down a murderer.

12

ANGELO

The moment Fee ends the call, rage courses through me like molten lava. Itoldher to take Marco. I fuckingtoldher, and she refused. Now look at what’s happened.

With a roar of frustration, I slam my fist into the nearest wall. Pain explodes across my knuckles, but I barely register it through the haze of anger and fear.

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