Page 122 of Tainted Ties

Ignoring Roman calling my name, I walked toward the man who caused me more suffering than anyone I had ever met.

“Here to defend my behalf,mia cara?”

It was a nickname that lodged a knife within me, shredding me into pieces from the inside out.

He didn’t deserve my words. Nor did he deserve my gaze, but I found the will to stare into his eyes which were the same shade of green as mine.

I wanted to watch the light leave his eyes as I took his life.

Holding his stare, I reached under the side of my dress, feeling the cold metal graze my fingertips as I pulled the gun from my thigh.

“You?” Angelo asked mockingly with a laugh. “The little girl who fears blood is going toshootme. We both know you can’t.”

He didn’t know the first thing about me, and I was glad for it. That fear that began because of him would die with him.

With a steady hand, I rested the end of the gun to his temple.

If anyone in the room wanted to object, they didn’t.

They knew as well as I did, that I needed to be the one to do this.

Ineeded to do this for myself.

Utter fear crossed Angelo’s face when I pulled the safety off, an emotion I hadn’t seen before.

He deserved to feel even an ounce of that emotion, the same emotion I had felt on countless occasions because of him.

“Au—”

My name was cut short when I pulled the trigger.

Bang!

Epilogue

AURORA

One Year Later

“Are you ready for tonight?” Roman whispered in my ear, pulling me back against his chest.

Staring at our reflection in the mirror, I smiled, content with my life and knowing this was the happiest I had ever been.

“I’m nervous but excited to share the news.”

It was our first Christmas together and we had decided to throw a small party with our closest friends and family.

He rubbed the growing swell of my stomach soothingly. “It’s the best news,anima mia. There’s nothing to be nervous about.”

But nerves were unavoidable when I had been through an awful experience.

Roman would scold me for stressing if I continued to go back and forth with him so I turned, wrapping my arms around his waist.

He eyed me precariously when I gave him a cheeky smile. “That beautiful smile of yours won’t work on me.”

“Oh, come on!” I batted my lashes and pouted my lips. “Show me.”

He silently contemplated, his obsidian eyes searching my desperate expression.

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