Page 51 of Tainted Ties

I turned my back to him, making sure I was as far away from him as possible.

I wouldn’t be getting any shuteye tonight and it didn’t help that Roman’s body heat mingled with mine.

The bed dipped along with my stomach, knowing he was facing me.

I forced myself to focus on the moonlight coming through the hexagon-shaped window.

Nighttime was precious. It was during that time when most people were okay with taking risks and allowing themselves to do things they usually wouldn’t do during the day. And maybe that’s why I indulged the need to turn, only to find Roman wide-eyed, staring at me already.

Resting my head on the back of my hand, I watched him watch me.

His eyes were their own shade of midnight, dark and yet luminous against the glowing moon.

“Where did you learn to dance?” he whispered, as if we were in a bubble and anything beyond that volume would burst it.

The smallest of smiles crossed my mouth before I swallowed thickly. “My mother.”

I was never good at talking about the hardships I endured in life and maybe that’s why I always laced it with humor. “Don’t worry. After she died, my father filled her shoes injustfine.”

The glow I saw in his eyes seconds ago dimmed as his expression hardened.

He didn’t say anything for a while, and I grew comfortable in the bubble we created.

With each passing minute, my body grew restless.

“My mother was my favorite person, too.”

I don’t know what threw me off more—him talking to me about his mother or the fact that he said ‘too’ at the end as if this was our commonality.

It was scary to think I shared anything in common with him.

It was even scarier the way my heart soared, as he gave me a piece of himself. Hehada heart and one that might not be made of cold, hard stone.

“And your uncle?” I asked, recalling earlier in the evening when I had the misfortune of meeting him. He had squeezed my hand in a deathly grip, and I knew he had done it on purpose to hurt me, but I appeared unfazed.

“He’s the father of the man you killed,” Roman replied, his tone clipped.

The bubble we were in had finally burst, as I had expected.

Without another word, I turned my back to him, resenting myself because even though I hated the Mancinis, I hated what I had done even more. I could never wipe my hands clean of the blood on them.

Sleep must have overcome me because the sound of my phone vibrating woke me from a slumber that I hated to admit, was peaceful.

Somehow throughout the night, Roman and I each moved to the middle of the bed, our limbs tangled.

Gently removing myself from his grasp, I grabbed my phone. Within seconds of seeing the number on the screen, my peace was replaced with trepidation.

I tiptoed to the bathroom and shut the door before answering. “Why are you calling me?”

My father’s jagged voice came through the line, causing me to wince involuntarily. “I have bad news.”

I froze, pinpricks of ice spreading throughout my body, waiting for him to continue speaking.

“Your brother is dead,” he exhaled. “Which means the contract is void. You’re free, Aurora.”

Cold sweat broke out in hives on my skin, the phone slipping through my trembling fingers, and crashing onto the tile floor.

Your brother is dead.

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