Page 102 of Tainted Ties

I gently grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up.

She winced, staring at me through bloodshot eyes. Her distraught features stole my next breath, rendering me speechless.

Even if she deserved to be down here for disloyalty, I shouldn’t have done it.

Reaching into my pocket, I retrieved the key to the chains and unlocked them from her wrists.

I massaged her skin with my thumb, touching the grooves of where the shackles bit into.Fuck.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, pulling my attention to her face again.

Her tears released anew. “I’m so sorry, Roman.”

“Why did you do it?”

She brought her knees to her chest. “It wasn’t supposed to turn out that way.”

I stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.

She never did.

Reaching for the gun on my holster, I switched the safety off.

Aurora’s doe eyes widened further when I reached for her hand, wrapping it around the handle with my own, pointing the end of the barrel to my chest.

She pressed further into the wall, trying to free her hand from my grip. “Wh- what are you d- doing?”

I stared deep into the window of her soul as the gun dug into my chest, the erratic pounding of my heart vibrating against it.

“When I told you my heart was yours, I meant it. And I know I was undeserving of yours, but the last thing I expected was for you to shatter mine into a million pieces,” I breathed. “Pull the trigger,anima mia.” My finger curled against hers over the trigger.

Tears ran down her face, a steady stream until it dripped down her chin.

"Pull it and free me from this agonizing torment. I amnothingwithout the heart that beats for you."

“Please,”she screeched, baring her teeth. “I don’t want this.I love you!”

“Did you love me when you betrayed me?”

“It’sbecauseI love you that I betrayed you.” She squeezed her eyes shut, head tilted upward. “It’s because I love you that I’m willing to accept whatever punishment you see fit. ” Then her face crumpled, another piercing sob escaping her lips. “God knows, I already am.”

My eyes fell to our joined hands, my heart thumping once before halting when I noticed the blood covering hers.

Dropping the gun, I grabbed her hands, pulling them to me. “Aurora, what is this?”

She cried harder.

I gripped her face in between my palms. “Anima mia, what did you do?”

She choked through her weeping, and I didn’t wait another second.

Wrapping her in my arms, I picked her up and strode up the stairs.

When I reached the top, I called for Gianna.

She came hurrying behind me as I rushed my way up the main stairs. “Call Dr. Aldo.”

“What’s wrong with her?”

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