Page 32 of All My Broken Pieces

I repeat it to myself, my certainty growing. Letting my eyes close, I picture the last time I was happy. A small smile spreads across my face as I relive the memory.

“You are stunning,mi vida.” Arriana hums, circling my waist and pulling me back against her. “How did I get so lucky? ¿Qué hice para merecerte?”

I giggle, trying to finish applying my makeup while being held captive in her arms. “You know I don’t understand a word you say when you speak in Spanish, right?”

“Hmm.” Arriana hums. “Está bien. Te eseñaré. Tenemos todo el tiempo del mundo.” I roll my eyes at her in the reflection, unable to hide the smile on my face.

Sure, I really don’t understand anything she’s saying to me, but I love when she says it.

“Want to know another promise, baby?”

I giggle again. “My love, I didn’t even know you made me a promise.”

Ignoring me, Arriana gently moves my hair back, leaning to whisper in my ear, “La próxima boda en la que estaremos es la nuestra, mi bella diosa.”

Blinking open my eyes, I can’t contain the smile that has spread across my face at the memory. I still don’t know what she said to me, but I do know one thing.

I was happy.

So, I open my mouth and voice the thing I want more than I’ve ever wanted anything. More than reality drama, more than books, more than thewordsthemself.

Opening myself up, I finally make the decision to say fuck it to everything and everyone else.

Becausethisfeels right. The way I feel when I think about us.

And that’s what I’m going to go with from now on.

The love that bubbles up at the thought of her.

Chapter 12

Arriana

I sip at my coffee, leaning back in my seat, feet propped up on the dashboard.

It’s been days of surveillance and almost time to be able to act. I can feel the excitement buzzing beneath my skin growing the closer it comes to being time to let out my need for violence.

This particular hit is one I’ve been looking forward to, and one I know Killian is going to bepissedhe missed out on. I mull over the particulars of the job, the target a familiar name.

Thomas Fox.

My mind wanders back to the hit that changed everything. The oneheordered.

I slip on one of the uniforms, glancing down at the fake ID to find my name for this job is Juliette Cassidy. Peeking over at Killian’s, I let out a quiet chuckle at his. Casper Montegoul doesn’t quite fit the brooding man, but I like the nod to our purpose here. Just adding a few more ghosts to the world.

Killian waits for me to indicate I’m ready before we proceed toward the house. Something about this job isn’t sitting well with me. It’s not the first time we’ve been sent after someone I would deem unworthy of meeting their maker, but this particular case has me fidgeting as we grow closer.

We pause at the front door, readying ourselves for what’s about to come next. I wait for the usual excitement to build up, but find an uneasy feeling in its stead.

Killian looks to me, waiting to make sure I’m ready. Pushing down the unfamiliar feelings, I give him a curt nod. He reaches forward and raps his knuckles on the wooden door.

“Hold on!” A voice calls out from the other side.

We wait in uncomfortable silence for several moments before the door is opened, revealing a boy in his late twenties. Our target, Kenneth Ellington.

He eyes us suspiciously, angling the door between his body and ours.

Smart guy.

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