Page 6 of Tainted Ties

When the sound of music and voices became louder, I knew death would be better than what awaited me.

I stood in the middle of the room with male eyes on me. Their arms were outstretched, pointing guns at one another.

Small beads of sweat caressed my forehead from the scene.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about; I did no such thing.” The voice belonged to my father.

I gaped at him and then at the man standing across from him.

My eyes widened when I found familiar obsidian eyes on me, piercing me with a deadly stare.

“I did no such thing,” my father repeated, his voice slicing through the thick tension in the room. “My daughter did.”

The air dropped ten degrees. I flicked my gaze back to him. “What?” I asked.

“Ignorance doesn’t suit you, Aurora.”

When I didn’t respond, he continued, “You put a bullet through the head of Roman’s underboss, did you not?”

The earth crumbled beneath my feet, ready to swallow me whole. My throat tightened, forbidding me from talking,screaming.

An ear-splitting pop went off somewhere before someone shoved me behind them.Enzo.

“Go!” he shouted, pushing me toward the door.

Everything moved in slow motion after that. It took immense effort for me to run from the living room and out the front door.

The shouts of men grew louder and closer as if they were right behind me.

I made it through the main door, the night breeze jolting me to run faster.

As I approached the car, I glanced back without thought.

Standing on the front porch, dressed in all black, like a fallen angel, was Roman. His hand was up, halting his men from approaching me.

“You can run, but Iwillfind you,” he said with no mercy in his voice.

His promise seeped into me, causing me to shiver in fear. I climbed into the car and drove away, never looking back.

Chapter1

Aurora

Ten Years Later

“Did you wrap up that case?” I asked my best friend, Irina, who sat cross-legged on the sofa beside me.

Irina and I had met in a coffee shop shortly after I had arrived in New York. She had one of those infectious personalities that allowed you to be comfortable enough to share anything with her.

Without the blonde Russian, I wouldn’t have been able to enroll in a university or find a full-time job, even if it was a waitressing position.

Now years later, we were both successful attorneys with a partnership firm and clientele.

Irina knew the gist of my life in Italy; I could never go into too much detail without breaking down and she never pushed me on it either.

Starting a new life in a new country had been difficult, especially with little money.

Enzo had left me an envelope containing a few grand to help me on my journey, but I only managed to secure a small apartment then.

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