Page 89 of Blood and Vows (A Twisted Duet 2)

And then I did it again.

And again.

And again.

The more blood I saw seeping out of his head, the more I wanted to see. With every jab, I saw all the lies, all the deception, all the pain…all because of this man. All I’d been through, everything that had happened was because of him. He destroyed my life…as well as the life of my unborn child.

I screamed. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I took the knife in both hands, and using all my strength I forced the blade through the top of his head…and left it there.

Tears silently ran down my face as I stared at the bloodied face of the monster that had taken everything from me. I did that. I killed him…and I wished I could do it again.

Castello placed his jacket over my shoulders. “It’s over, little mouse. He’s dead.”

My body trembled as I kept staring at the corpse in front of me. I wanted to look at him as long as possible to make sure I never forget what my revenge looked like. The blood, the brutal sight of what his face looked like after I sliced it and stabbed it over, and over, and over again.

“It’s over.” Castello turned me to face him and pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me. “It’s finally over.”

“Castello.” Uncle Gino stood by the door. “I think you need to get her home, let Doc take a look at her. I’ll make sure this all gets cleaned up.”

“Thank you, Uncle.”

Castello wiped my hair back over my shoulder and placed his hand under my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “What was he talking about, little mouse? What did he want to tell me?”

The little piece of what was left of my heart thudded behind my ribs. He could never know. Castello could never know about what happened at The Capital. This would be the one thing I would keep to myself forever.

I glanced at Carlo’s disfigured face, blood still dripping in dark crimson clots. What happened at The Capital died with him, and I would take this secret to my grave. We’d suffered enough. It was over now, and I would not allow Carlo to ruin our lives any further.

“He was the one who caused it,” I started. “He violated my body by putting those pills inside me, his fingers pushing so deep it hurt.”

Castello cursed then grabbed both my shoulders and turned me to face him. “Never again. Never again, Tatum. You have been surrounded by lies for so long. From now on, I will dedicate my life to make sure you are surrounded by nothing but vows. I’m sorry I didn’t protect you from him. I swear to God I will never, ever leave you again. I vow to protect you. I vow to you make you my life. I vow to keep you, to never let you go. And I vow to love you even after death.”

A tear slipped down his face, and somehow, I found comfort in that one single tear.

“I love you, Tatum.”

Epilogue

TATUM

Three years later

“You sure you want to do this? We don’t have to do this today.”

I glanced at Castello sitting behind the steering wheel. “I’ve waited long enough. It has to be now.”

Worry lines formed grooves on his forehead. “Just remember, it’s going to be a huge shock for them. I just want you to be prepared.”

I smiled and reached for his hand. “I am. I’ve been preparing myself for this day since she was born.” I glanced at the backseat. Emilie smiled as she watched her father and me. She had her father’s dark eyes and my blonde hair. “I want our daughter to have this.”

“I know. But it’s been a long time, and I don’t want you to be disappointed if this doesn’t go the way you hoped.”

I sat back in my seat. “If it doesn’t go the way I hoped, then at least I know I tried.”

This was something that lay heavily on my heart. It was something I wanted for my daughter, for me. I knew it would be a great shock to everybody, but what kind of mother would I be if I didn’t do this for my child? After all, her world was different from the world out there. I wanted her to have at least something that was normal. Something that wasn’t linked to the Fattore name she carried.

“You know I love you.” Castello glanced at Emilie. “I love our child. And for the last three years, everything I’ve done was for the two of you.”

“I know.” I gave him a warm smile.

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