Page 24 of Sinful Daughter (Dark Mafia Sins 2)

“Aria!” An older woman is running toward us. She has Aria’s same eyes and hair. Mrs. Rossi pulls her in for a hug before her feet stop moving. She’s doing what I should be doing. I owe her nothing, yet my body and hands twitch to comfort her.

Mrs. Rossi glares at me, and I don’t blame her. I’ve made a career out of trying to ruin her life.

“Mrs. Rossi,” I greet her. She lets go of Aria and turns her attention to me.

“He’s the one who shot Mancini, Mom,” Aria’s soft voice says in my defense. She undoes her ponytail to cover her cheek.

Her mother looks down her nose at me, wrapping her daughter back into a side embrace. She leads her closer to the ambulance, and they both take a seat.

I have a lot of things I need to be doing, but I can’t go too far from her. I do whatever jobs keep me closer to Aria. She doesn’t leave my vision. Even when I see one of their family cars pull up, I walk to greet whoever it is, all while watching her.

CHAPTER 16

Once the red-and-bluelights clear from the Rossi driveway, their compound stays on high alert. Guards are in every corner. I’m forced to stay on the outskirts, awaiting my time to reenter the area.

The first peeks of light overpower the shadows when the guards change over. Everyone is exhausted, including me.

I watch two guards walk around the perimeter. They’re arguing about something and take a glance but don’t notice my silhouette in the darkness.

I easily scale the wall to the square balcony I assume is hers. The door is open, the curtains billowing in the light breeze. I hear her muffled cries. Her face is down in her bed, sobbing into a pillow. She’s wearing light silk-like shorts and a shirt. I step in, not bothering to hide my presence. My feet make soft sounds, and she doesn’t lift her head. She continues making those heart-pulling sounds. I’m a dude; we’re wired to fix shit when girls cry. I stand awkwardly, knowing I should go, but I can’t make myself leave.What is there even to say?

Another step closer.

I’m a cop. I shouldn’t be breaking and entering.

I broke nothing. At most, this is trespassing. Taking another step, I’m standing by her large bed, and I can hear footsteps outside her room. They pause at her door, then a moment later continue on.

Her shorts sit softly against her tanned skin, showing me every curve. They display the undercurve of her ass, making my cock harden. The shorts are snug around her petite waist before her shirt starts at her ribs. One small, almost nonexistent strap has fallen down her arm, showcasing the slender curve of her neck and a small mole on her shoulder blade.

I take a seat on her bed, her small frame leaning toward me with the dip of the mattress, and I put my large hand on her back. Her body freezes, and the sobs stop.

My guilt has been eating away at me. When I saw Mancini bite her, I wanted to shoot. I should have shot, but I was told to hold fire. My hand makes circles on her back, and I try to swallow, but it gets stuck in my throat.

When I envisioned tonight, it went a lot differently. Aria was never in any danger, she never got hurt, and I would feel freer. Instead, I’m still as unhappy as I was. Bringing in Mancini didn’t give me the satisfaction I thought it would. I’m more wound up and angry than before.

“I’m so fucking sorry for how tonight went.” There are no other words to say. I wanted to say them before, but couldn’t push them out. I feel like I fucked up. Yet, the precinct is hailing me a hero right now. We finally have Mancini. This is what I’ve been working on. I need to get in to talk to him. I want to know if he’ll turn in his biggest enemy, Nicoli Rossi.

Tomorrow, when everything dies down, I’ll have my chance without being noticed. I should wait a few days before seeing Aria, but I had to see for my own eyes that she was all right. The girl beside me right now is breaking my heart.

Sighing, I peek down at her. Her head tilts toward me, but the bite mark is hidden on her pillow. The rim around her gray eyes is red, her irises dull. I reach out, my thumb brushing against the minor cut on her bottom lip.

Taking off my shoes, I lie down on the space between Aria and the edge of the bed. I’m forced to stay on my side, and she makes no effort to give me extra room.

“I thought you didn’t break promises.” Her voice is low and hoarse.

The sadness that is staring back at me makes me feel what I’ve blocked out for most of my life. My heart constricts, feeling I’ve let her down. I’ve disappointed her. She makes me question why I allowed myself to put her in danger for my need to avenge my father’s name.

Five years ago, I would have never crossed any line between right and wrong. I’m known to be by the book. I prided myself on doing the right thing all the time. Then I moved back here, and my thirst to bring down the mafia is so great I’ve been cutting corners.

I tried telling myself that Aria isn’t an innocent victim. She’s the daughter of one of the most powerful and ruthless men in organized crime.

“I don’t make promises. I said I never fail.” Her lips purse, not trusting my words. “I was told not to fire by my captain,” I concede on a sigh, hating how she’s playing with my heartstrings. “Mancini was in my view, and I had a perfectly clean shot as soon as he shoved you to your knees. Before I moved here, I would have shot anyway, because it was the right thing to do.”

“What changed you?”

Greed.

Revenge.

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