Page 66 of The Fall of Sin (The Sins of Saint 2)

“Fine,” Mr. Russo got up from his seat, “I’m going to count to three, then my deal is off the table. One—”

Raphael glanced from Mr. Russo to me.

“Two—”

I held my breath.

“Th—”

“Deal!” Raphael rubbed the back of his neck. “Deal.”

Mr. Russo smiled victoriously and shook hands with my brother. “It’s a pleasure doing business with you, Raphael. Your payment—”

“An eternity in hell, motherfucker.”

A gunshot sounded, and Raphael fell to the floor. Blood oozed from his lifeless body and soaked through the carpet fibers.

So much blood. Too much blood. I was surrounded by it. Drowning in it.

Every sound went on mute when I looked up at Saint standing across from me with a gun in hand, and finger on the trigger. My beautiful angel of death. The devil who stole me. And the man who stole my heart.

An indescribable relief flooded over me like water as I watched him rush across the room toward me. The second his arms wrapped around me, the safety of his presence enveloped me…I fell.

22

Mila

Saint carriedme out of the hotel, James and his men fighting against the flashing cameras and screaming reporters.

Red and blue lights flickered in the distance, but I didn’t care about anything because I was safely cradled in my husband’s arms. I felt him against me, his warmth penetrating my body and warding off the cold. He clutched me tightly and held me on his lap as we drove through the streets of Rome.

His hand brushed up and down my back, a loving caress. “I told you never to run from me again.”

I didn’t reply. I couldn’t. Words eluded me while I listened to the soothing beat of his heart.

“She lied, Mila.”

I closed my eyes, a single tear rolling down my cheek.

“Anete lied to you. A lie she will pay dearly for.”

“No,” I whispered.

“Her lie almost cost you your life. I almost lost you.”

“But you didn’t.” I nestled my cheek deeper against his chest. “I shouldn’t have believed her in the first place.”

Seconds. Minutes. Hours. I lost all sense of time while he held me in his arms. We didn’t say a word, but our silence spoke volumes. His regret was there in the way he held me. And mine was in the tears I continued to cry against his chest. I was stupid to believe Anete, and foolish to let Raphael con me. I almost paid for my foolishness with my life. With Elena’s life. And maybe even…another life.

I flattened my palm against my belly. “Saint—”

“I know, Mila.”

I looked at him in surprise, and he brushed his hand down my cheek tenderly. “Elena told me.”

“We need to make sure.”

“And we will,” he assured me. “But right now, you need to rest.”

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