Page 102 of Mafia Toy

“No!” I cried, tears streaming down my cheeks. Pain ripped through me, my insides twisting and turning. I laid my fingers on her cheeks and pulled her head off the ground, holding it in my hands. “I-I’m a killer. A killer.”

When I had married Constantino, he had promised that I would never dirty my hands in the family business … but tonight, I had murdered my best friend. I cried out. I’d killed her! She was dead. Cold. Gone. Lying in my arms lifelessly.

I sat with her on the floor for hours, curling up by her side and wetting my hair with her blood. How could this happen? How could I betray her trust? Kill her dead? She was a bitch, but … but why couldn’t Constantino have done it?

And while I wanted to continue to blame Constantino for this, I had been the one to pull the trigger. I had been the one to make that choice. I had been the one who … said I loved Sage but hurt her by staying with Bethany.

Sage had broken down into tears when Constantino said I would be the one to choose if she lived because … she didn’t think I would choose her. She didn’t trust me. She had expressed her dislike for Bethany, and I hadn’t listened so much that she decided to not even tell me about how my best friend had tossed soda all over her and Poppy.

More tears fell from my eyes, but I finally released Bethany from my grasp and sat up. I stared down at her and wiped my cheeks, my gaze narrowing by the second. It wasn’t my fault that she was dead. She had … continued to snoop into my business after I told her not to worry about it.

She had betrayed me.

She had …

I dropped my gaze to the floor and pressed my lips together, remembering the first day in Italy with Sage, how I had told her about wanting plastic surgery just because Bethany had made me an insecure mess, how I had gotten lip injections, chin lipo, and Botox to stay in the family’sinclub.

I liked looking pretty, but …

I glanced up at my husband and Sage, who hadn’t left the room yet.

Being pretty wasn’t everything in life. I would take having a family over being attractive any fucking day.

“I’m sorry,” I sobbed, forcing myself to stand. “I’m sorry I took so long to choose you both.”

Sage looked away from me, her head down and her cheeks stained with dried tears. I wanted to reach out for her, to comfort her, to tell her that it would never happen again, but I … I had fucked up so much. She didn’t trust me.

And I didn’t blame her.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, staring at my husband.

He grimaced and peered down at Bethany. “Are you done with her?”

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Riccardo!” Constantino called.

Riccardo opened the door.

“Get the men to remove the body from my office and clean this place up. And call Pietro to come here too.” Constantino looked at me. “We need to talk about his place in the family.”

“Why Pietro?” I whispered, eyes widening. “You’re not going to force me to kill him too?”

“No.”

“Pietro is”—Riccardo glanced into the hallway—“busy right now.”

Constantino rolled his eyes and followed Riccardo, who carried Bethany out of the room. They shut the door, leaving me alone with Sage. Sage sat on the edge of the couch, pressing her body against the arm and staring at the wall to her right.

I slowly approached her and sat on the other side, knowing that she probably didn’t want me anywhere near her. But I wanted to make it up to her for being such a bitch, for letting Bethany treat her that way, and for believing Bethany blindly.

“How can I make it up to you?” I whispered, staring at the bloodied ground.

Sage didn’t respond, so we sat in another long silence.

“I know you probably hate me,” I whispered. “But—”

“I don’t hate you,” she said, gaze locked on her legs now. “I’m not allowed to have feelings in this relationship. You’ve told everyone, including me, that I am just your toy … so whatever happens between us means … nothing.”

---