Page 149 of Betrayed in the Dark
My head swivels to the side, finding Mauro standing. I arch an eyebrow, looking at Vin, who merely shrugs, appearing just as confused as I am.
Mauro looks down at Alina. She bites her bottom lip and tucks her hair behind her ear before hesitantly standing beside him. His hand slides behind her back to her waist, gently pulling her to his side.
I turn to Scarlett, her shock mirroring my own.
What the hell is going on?
“Hi, everyone,” Alina says softly before clearing her throat. She pushes up her glasses and then twists her hands together anxiously. “Mauro and I, well, we just wanted to share that…” She glances around the table, her lips opening and closing as she searches for the right words.
Mauro’s brows knit together, concern evident in his eyes as he watches her. He places a hand against his chest, and then, with his right hand in the shape of a loose C, his thumb touches his lower cheek before moving down toward his left hand, which is also shaped in a loose C, and interlocks his hands.
Alina displays a soft smile as a slight blush creeps over her cheeks.
I look around the room. “What did he just—”
“He said.” Alex smirks as he leans back in his seat. “My wife.”
Silence fills the room.
“We, umm…” Alina gives a slight shrug. “We got married.”
“Why have you asked me to meet you out here, husband? It’s freezing!” I zip up my down jacket and wrap my arms around myself as I trudge through the fluffy snow, approaching Eli, who is standing by the dock.
He smiles at me, amusement dancing in his eyes. “You look like a marshmallow.”
I gasp, swatting at his chest. “Take that back.”
He wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me close. “A sexy marshmallow.
I tilt my head, considering it. “I’ll take it.”
He gently presses a soft kiss to my lips before standing me up straight. I take a look around. A small snowstorm swept through last night, leaving everything coated in fresh white—from the tips of the pine trees to the frozen lake.
It’s beautiful and serene.
But also, really fucking cold.
“So, are you going to tell me why I’m currently out here freezing my butt off?”
He nods thoughtfully before reaching into his pocket. “I thought you should know that you weren’t the only one who sent me letters over the years.” He pulls out a worn-looking envelope and holds it out to me.
I raise an eyebrow. “What bitch do I have to fight?”
He lets out a genuine laugh, pushing the letter into my hands.
“I think you should read this one,” he says. “It was one of my favorites.”
My brows furrow in confusion, but I remove my gloves and open the folded piece of paper. I quickly scan to the bottom of the page to see who wrote this damn letter, and I freeze.
Because the name Charles Alarie stares back at me.
I look at Eli, my throat tightening, my nose stinging, and my eyes blurring. “He wrote to you?”
He nods. “I think he’d want you to read this one.”
I quickly glance back down at the paper, grasping it with trembling hands.
A river of tears cascades down my cheeks, probably turning into tiny icicles.
