Page 47 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

I jerked my head up, my heart pounding in my chest as I processed this. “What?” The words came out in a hoarse whisper, barely audible over the pounding of my heart. I broke out in a cold sweat, my knees buckled, and I had to reach out to steady myself against the nearest available surface as the earth tilted beneath my feet. It was as if the very foundation of my world had been shaken, leaving me scrambling to find solid ground amid the chaos. I pulled back slightly, searching Angelo’s eyes for any hint of deception or uncertainty, but found only solemn sincerity there.

My hands began to tremble, and I clenched them into fists to steady myself. “Did you…” I swallowed hard, almost afraid to ask. “Did you kill him?”

Not even a flinch crossed his face as he spoke. “That man sold you to Simon. Not only that, he tortured and killed your dog, Sammie. For hurting you, he paid with his life.” His voice lowered, almost gentle. “It was ugly. You don’t need to know the details.”

I stared at Angelo as the words pierced my stunned mind, my hands trembling and my skin prickling with a coldsweat as I fought to make sense of the bombshell he had just dropped. Freddie was dead. The monster who had tormented me, who had haunted my every waking moment, was gone. I should have felt relief, but instead, a cold numbness settled over me like a shroud.

“He...he killed Sammie?” I whispered, my voice cracking. “And sold me to Simon?” The words felt foreign on my tongue, too horrible to comprehend.

A sob tore from my throat, raw and ragged. Grief and betrayal warred within me, a tempest of emotions that threatened to sweep me away. How could Freddie have done something so cruel and unforgivable? The memory of Sammie’s warm, wriggling body brushing against me, of his joyful barks and enthusiastic, sloppy kisses, twisted like a knife in my chest.

And the knowledge that Freddie had sold me…traded me like a piece of property to satisfy his own greed...It destroyed my last shred of trust in the world. The betrayal cut deep, reopening wounds I thought had long since healed over.

Even as the anger and pain surged through me, I couldn’t ignore the small, insistent voice whispering in the back of my mind. Did I really want to know the “ugly” details of Freddie’s death? Did I want to bear the burden of that knowledge, to picture the violence and suffering he had endured at Angelo’s hands?

Part of me yearned for the truth, for the closure that came with understanding. But another part, the part that had seen too much darkness already, shied away from the gruesome realities of Angelo’s world.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm ofemotions raging inside me. “No, I don’t know that I want to know the details,” I said quietly, my voice trembling slightly. “I just…I need a moment to process all of this, please.”

A tidal wave of rage and anguish crashed over me, threatening to drag me under. My hands shook, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe, like the walls of the room were closing in on me.

Angelo gathered me into his arms, his strong embrace an anchor in the storm of my pain. I buried my face in his shoulder, my tears soaking into his shirt. Part of me recoiled from the thought of him taking a life, even Freddie’s. But another part whispered that this was just the way of his world—a world of blood and shadows, where the strong protected what was theirs.

As he held me, murmuring soft words of comfort, I clung to him like a lifeline. In that moment, the numbness began to ebb away, replaced by a flicker of something else—a fragile spark of hope, and the knowledge that I wasn’t alone in the darkness.

As I wept in Angelo’s arms, I felt his hand come up to cradle my face, his thumb gently wiping away a tear. I lifted my eyes to his, and in their depths, I saw a flicker of tenderness and a silent understanding of the pain that gripped my heart.

Slowly, hesitantly, he lowered his head until his forehead rested against mine. His breath ghosted across my lips, so cool and comforting. “I’m here, Serenity,” he whispered. “You’re not alone.”

Then, with a gentleness that made my heart melt, he pressed his lips to mine. It was a soft, chaste kiss, a touch ofwarmth amid the coldness that had seeped into my bones. For a moment, the entire world fell away—all the grief, all the betrayal, all the fear—and there was only the two of us, our hearts beating as one.

When he pulled back, I saw a glimmer of uncertainty in his eyes, as if he was worried he had overstepped. But I reached up, my fingers tracing the line of his jaw. “Thank you,” I murmured, my voice thick with emotion. “For being here. For...for everything.”

“Always,” he vowed—and in that moment, I believed him.

Someone tapped on the door softly. “Angelo?”

He glanced over his shoulder. “What is it, Dimitri?” Instantly, he was back to being the head of the Santi family.

“We’ve prepared Jacques’ body for burial. We’re just waiting for you.” His low voice hinted at the sadness of losing a brother-in-arms.

“I’ll be there shortly,” Angelo said, staring into my eyes.

“Very well,” Dimitri said on the other side of the door.

“You don’t have to?—”

I wiped away my tears. “No. I want to be there.”

Angelo’s brow crinkled and he brushed the hair out of my face. “Really? Why?”

I took a sobering breath and exhaled shakily. “Because Jacques was kind to me? Because he was killed because of me?”

Angelo’s eyes searched mine, a mixture of concern and admiration flickering in their depths. “Serenity, don’t think like that,” he said softly, his hand still caressing my face. “Jacques’ death is not your fault. The blame lies solely with Freddie and his friends.”

I leaned into his touch, drawing strength from the contact. “I know,” I whispered, my voice trembling slightly. “But still. Jacques showed me kindness when I was at my lowest. He always treated me well, even though he didn’t have to. I owe it to him to pay my last respects.”

A sad smile tugged at Angelo’s lips. “You have a good heart, Serenity. I know Jacques saw that in you too.” He paused, his thumb brushing gently across my cheekbone one last time. “Well, if you truly wish to attend, I won’t stop you. Though I must warn you—we burn the body on a pyre at a vampire funeral.”

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