Page 80 of Resisting Royal

She bit her lip. “I, um, we talked the night before our trip to Roman’s compound. He seemed well.”

So, it had been days. Days since she heard her father’s voice and now it was too late. She would never speak to him again. “I don’t know the details, but this evening he was found unresponsive.”

That wasn’t entirely the truth, but I couldn’t tell her the gory details of her father’s death; she would find out soon enough. “Unresponsive? But he’s okay, right?”

“Bianca, he’s dead.”

She shook her head like she didn’t believe me, and held a hand up when I stepped forward. I let my hands fall to my side. “It’s not true, he was fine when we spoke.”

I reached up, taking her hand in mine, wanting to wrap my arms around her to give her comfort, but knowing it wasn’t what she wanted at this moment. “It’s true, and I’m so sorry, Amore. I wish there was something I could do to help.”

Tears were running silently down her cheeks, and I felt gutted. “What do you mean? Help?”

“You. Him. With the situation,” I offered.

She blinked. More tears fell. “What situation are you referring to?”

I was about to answer her when lights suddenly flooded through the kitchen window. Red and blue flashes reflected off the wooden cabinets and danced against the wall as what appeared to be multiple police cars filed into my driveway. I knew this wasn’t good, but I thought I had more time.

I grabbed her arm rougher than I intended to, but I needed her attention away from the cars in our driveaway and back to me. “Bianca, listen to me.” Her beautiful eyes turned to me, blinking a few times before they focused. “There’s something else.”

“Something else?” Her face slowly dawned with a conclusion, and she tried to pull away, but I wouldn’t let her.

“It’s not what you’re thinking, let me just explain.”

There was a pounding on the door and a loud voice announcing their presence, but I didn’t move. “You’re going to hear somethings, some accusations but they aren’t true. I would never. You have to believe that.”

There was another loud knocking, the last warning. “What kind of accusations, Royal? What are you not telling me?”

The wood around the door splintered as the door was kicked inward. Heavy boots pounded against the floor, and it took only moments before I was surrounded, my kitchen filled with heavily armed men, their weapons trained on me. I held my hands up, not willing to fight or make any moves to put Bianca in danger.

“Royal Russo, we have a warrant for your arrest. You are wanted in connection with the death of Frank Moretti.”

Bianca stepped back, fear and anger clouded her eyes. “You—you killed my father?”

My arm jerked behind my body as the cold metal of cuffs clamped around my wrist. “It’s not true. Whatever you hear, you have to believe me when I say, it’s not the truth. It will work out, and I’ll be home in no time. Call Troy. If he doesn’t answer, call my secretary. Her number is taped to my desk.”

Bianca was shaking her head no like she didn’t believe me, and the weight of her accusing eyes tore holes through me. I was pushed forward, but my feet didn’t want to move, “Bianca, I didn’t do it. You know I didn’t.”

But the way she was looking at me, I knew that she didn’t believe a word that spewed out of my mouth. No matter what I said, she had formed her decision about me, and I wouldn’t be able to change it. They pushed on, forcing my body through the kitchen door and the last glimpse I got of Bianca, the imagine that would forever be ingrained in my mind, was one of heartbreak and betrayal—all directed at me.

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