Page 73 of Tainted Ties

The sound of rummaging came down the line before Irina spoke again, “I’m taking the next flight out.”

“No! Please don’t do that. Just—” I inhaled deeply. “Just talk to me.”

And she did. For the next hour, I bared myself to my best friend.

About Roman and every unfiltered thought I had—including how each one made me feel—before I dozed off to sleep.

Chapter25

Roman

“If you wanted to talk to me, all you had to do was ask for my number,piccola ribelle,” Luca said, a smirk playing across his lips.

I rolled my eyes, snatching my phone from his hand before bringing it up to my ear. “Who is this?”

“Your wife’s one and only love.”

Irina.

“How did you get my number?” I asked, rubbing my jaw in confusion.Why was she calling me?

“You’re asking the wrong question,” she huffed. “What you should be asking iswhy.”

My body drained of blood, replaced by icy needles. “Is she hurt?” I demanded.

“No, not physically, at least,” she sighed. “She’d have my head if she knew I called you, but she’s not okay, Roman.”

Gnawing pain tore through my chest. “I’m on my way home.”

“At least you have a conscience unlike that heathen who answered your phone,” she sneered.

I stifled a laugh.I think I liked this girl.

“Agreed. Thanks for the call.”

“I know all about you, Roman Mancini, and if you hurt her in any way, I’ll come for you. So don’t thank me,” she said before hanging up.

I definitely liked the girl.

I turned to Luca, who was as disheveled as me. “Can you take care of the rest? I need to head out.”

“Sure thing. It’s not like I need help hauling these dead assholes.”

What was supposed to be a quick trip turned out to be longer than expected.

Apparently, disloyalty was circulating within my associates, and I had to scope out the damage and get rid of the culprit.

The last thing I needed was the feds breathing down my neck because people didn’t know how to keep their mouths shut about my business.

“Luca, I trust you.” I patted him on the shoulder as I walked past him. “Call me when it’s done,” I ordered, exiting the abandoned building.

The only thing on my mind was Aurora and how she hadn’t left.

My lips curled into a smile.She chose to stay.

Chapter26

Aurora

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