Page 7 of Tainted Ties

“Yes, thank God. It was extremely tedious,” she answered, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

After Raphael and I had broken up two weeks ago, Irina slept over intermittently to make sure I was okay. We were now sharing our last meal before she went back to her house, indefinitely.

Raphael and I met in my second year of law school. To say I was head over heels for that man was an understatement. The first few years of our relationship were pure bliss, until they weren’t. If I thought about it for too long, guilt washed over me because deep down I knew we wouldn’t last. Raphael was good to me, he was nice, but the spark faded as the months passed.At least for me, it had.

A warm hand covered my own, pulling me out of my head. “I can stay for another night.”

I saw the sincerity in her ocean-blue eyes.“You’ve done enough, Rina.”

* * *

The clock hit twelve when I leaned back in my chair, exhausted from the bulk of paperwork I’d read through.

Becoming an attorney was something I hadn’t planned, but I thought it fitting when I wanted to diminish the injustices of the world and feel a sense of security.

I will findyou.

A shiver ran through me as I recalled the moment that had taken away my sense of peace and put me on high alert for fear of being found. That same moment haunted my thoughts every single day.

But I did it for me. It wasn’t easy by any means; some nights I wanted to give up and most nights I was close to doing so. I had come a long way to get to where I was now. Passing my bar exam was one of the best days of my life.

I stared at the picture sitting atop my desk.I hope I made you proud, Mamma.

My stomach grumbled, reminding me of the lack of food in my system. I was never skipping breakfast again.

I stood and made my way down toward the lobby, where I spotted my partner. “Irina, I’m grabbing lunch. Do you want anything?”

“Is that even a question? Get me a slice of Joe’s.” She winked.

“You got it, boss lady.”

Pushing through the double doors, I was met with the first few drops of rain. The darkening clouds overhead indicated that it wouldn’t clear anytime soon.

The streets were crowded with people who had the same purpose as I did, trying to avoid the unforgiving rain and reach their destination.

As the rain picked up speed, I cursed myself for not bringing an umbrella.I had been too eager and hungry to care.

The fast-paced crowd caused me to stumble over a puddle on the caved-in pavement.

I accepted my fate of pummeling to the ground face-first, when an arm shot out and circled my torso, catching me in a firm hold.

Blinking through the rain, I felt the blood drain from my face as I came face-to-face with my worst nightmare.It couldn’t be…

Eyes black as sin, bore into me. “Careful,” he drawled, voice laced with danger.

The world stilled around us as the rain picked up speed, neither of us breaking eye contact.

It’d been ten years since I last saw him, and he’d aged dangerously beautifully.

Terror gripped me in a vise as I took in the sharp angles of his bronzed skin. His raven black hair glistened with rain, a few wavy strands falling over one of his thick eyebrows. And an aristocratic nose that peered down at me with dominance.

Thunder boomed in the distance, pulling me out of my horrific trance.

The sounds of New York City came blaring in, causing me to step back from his searing touch.

I took an uneven breath. “Excuse me.” I moved past him, fear gnawing at me slowly until it was all I could feel.

The urge to turn back was compelling, forcing me to pick up my pace.

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