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I promised to make sure nothing would ever happen to Lucia or Aurora. I plan to keep that promise until the day I die. I just wish I didn’t have to tell her this, because it means I have to watch her heart break.
“His last words were for us to be taken care of?” she questions in a whisper.
I huff out a breath before getting to my feet and pulling her into my arms.
“You know, I’m pretty sure you get your stubbornness from your father. As the life was leaving him, I could tell he wanted to see you and Lucia. But he stuck to his beliefs and refused to ask for you. It’s why I came to you in the first place, because I thought you both deserved some closure. I think he really wanted to see you, Aurora.”
CHAPTER 27
AURORA
Nico’s words are like a bolt to my chest, piercing to the heart of me. I thought I got rid of all the guilt I felt in relation to Valerio’s death. I thought wrong. I’ve never allowed myself to truly feel when it came to my father. I didn’t allow myself to properly mourn him either. But hearing Nico speak about him dislodges a tiny piece of the armor I stuck to my heart.
I look away from Nico, feeling tears well in my eyes. Because I should have just sucked it up. I should have been brave enough to come and see Valerio, and now it’s too late. He’s gone. I pull away from Nico’s hug to look him in the eye.
They’re so soft now. I remember how much they used to scare me. But now, he always looks at me with a tenderness that makes me feel like I’m drowning in him. I don’t want to drown. I don’t want to lose myself. I barely even know who I am anymore.
“I should have talked to him when I had the chance,” I confess in a whisper. “Are you happy now? You wanted this, right? You wanted me to regret it. You wanted me to feel like this,” I say accusingly.
Nico looks stricken as he remembers the text he sent to me all those months ago.
“Fuck, Aurora, I didn’t mean that,” he states. “When I showed up at your apartment and saw you for the first time in ten years, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But baby, you were so angry with me. And I wasn’t sure I deserved it. Because it was your choice to leave in the first place. You left me and I couldn’t understand why.”
My chest heaves as a burning pain spreads through it. “You couldn’t understand?” I repeat blankly. “Nico, I killed someone.”
His expression tightens. “I know, sweetheart.”
“No, I don’t think you do. You don’t understand.”
How could he? The darkness is a part of who he is, and while I’ve learned to accept those parts of him, I am unwilling to accept that it may be part of me too.
“Then make me understand,” he pleads. “Tell me what happened, baby.”
My eyes screw shut as the memories I’ve hidden behind closed doors threaten to break through. Nico places his forehead against mine and my heart races in my chest because I know I can’t hide it anymore. I don’t want to.
If he really wants to know, so be it.
Ten Years Ago
Age Eighteen
I think everyone has a general idea of what they would do if they were ever kidnapped. Run, scream, and beg for mercy. Oddly enough, I do none of those things. And neither does my sister.
People like to call us princesses because of who our father is. I think it’s ridiculous, but Lucia and I are still Maranzanos. They treat us like royalty because we can be likened to royalty in the Cosa Nostra. Therefore, we do not cower, and we do not say a word to the two men standing in the room with us. Although calling it a room might be a stretch. We’re in a wide-open space with large windows. I’m guessing it’s a sort of warehouse. Lucia’s not too far from me and we’re both tied to two individual poles.
The both of us come to a silent agreement to wait until the man standing guard leaves the room. He’s not too interested in us either. He looks bored and his expression is shifty, on edge. It’s clear he’s not the one in charge. We wait for him to eventually leave us alone. Especially since we’re not doing anything but glaring at him. When he finally ascertains we won’t try anything, he walks away, opening the tall, rickety door and stepping outside.
Once he’s gone, I expel a shaky breath, looking toward my sister.
“Talk to me, Luce. Are you hurt?” I question.
“I’m fine,” she replies, struggling against the ropes. “Just extremely uncomfortable.”
“We’ll be okay. I’m sure they’re coming for us,” I state, sounding more hopeful than I feel.
I know without a doubt Nico’s doing whatever he can to get to us. That’s if he’s not been harmed in the time we’ve been gone.
God, I hope he’s okay.
