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She asked us to do this, to set her free, but was she aware of what it meant? We bore his blood so she wouldn’t feel guilt or carry it, but we both knew she would. She was too sweet, too soft. A delicate flower that we’d thrown into our chaos, tainting her petals with the blood of our sins.
This would change her more than his cruelty had, tarnishing her in a way we’d not wanted, and yet, it was also the only way to see if she could truly be with us, to accept us and stand by us all in the bloody world we called ours.
Forging a bond unlike any of the other men in the family who kept their wives out of the bloody underbelly of it all.
But at what cost? Would this work in our favor? Or destroy the one thing we didn’t want to ruin?
“We need to make it so he can’t be traced back to us. He’s a well-known doctor. We know no one’s looking for him, we covered that, but we need to make him vanish,” Zane said carefully, those eyes going cold as he focused on the task at hand. Compartmentalizing, something I wished I could master like him. Shutting off his emotions and dealing with one thing at a time—I truly envied him for that ability.
“Get the police involved, I had his car towed, we could stage an accident,” I suggested, and Zane nodded. We had a lot of the force on our payroll, so it wouldn’t be difficult. We just didn’tneed anyone digging deeper. Falsify some reports, pay off the autopsy guy, and we’d be peachy.
I glanced at the stairs, my heart tugging for Vee. I wanted to go to her, to hold her tight and reassure her, make sure she didn’t take on this burden, that she knew she was free of any sin. Sure, she made the call, but it wasn’t as heavy as she’d think. Either way, Callum would have either died or lived a miserable life of fear. She’d chosen the best option.
I’d lie and say it was quick, not share that Kieran dragged it out. I was grateful for Zane’s mercy killing, not letting him suffer further. I knew he deserved it, but I hated knowing it’d hurt her. He didn’t deserve her empathy, her feeling guilt or pain on his behalf. He had no right having that power over her, and yet I knew he did.
A trauma bond was something I’d learned of recently, and I imagined it was something she may have had. A part of her still loving him despite it all. She sought the good in others, it was why she was such a glimmer of light to us. No matter how much darkness we were drenched in, she could see that little flicker of light, and I wanted to protect that.
“Burn the car with him in it, I think that’s our best move,” Kieran said as he let Callum’s lifeless head fall forward again. “Guess we have some calls to make. Shame, I could’ve had a bit more fun.”
“You’ve had enough fun. It’d hurt Vee if she knew how much this was all a game to you,” I ground out, and his eyes narrowed at me.
“It’s not a game. It’s art, and he’s the most deserving of it for what he’s done,” he said, his voice dropping low before he closed his eyes and sucked in a breath. “But you’re right, Vee wouldn’t like it. So I’ll stick to the plan.” That charming smile spread across his face as he opened his eyes, that pleasant yet twisted flicker in their depths once more.
Damn, he was good. A wolf in sheep’s clothing.
No, a wolf killed for food, not fun.
What did that make Kieran?
I shook my head, not wanting to dwell on it. We had more pressing matters to attend to. Besides, the sooner we got this organized, the sooner I could go to Vee and make sure she was okay.
4
VERONICA
Iheld the mug of hot chocolate close, staring into the contents like they contained the answers to the universe.
Hank had tried to talk to me a bit, but I’d asked to be left alone, which he’d obliged to.
How did one come to terms with knowing they’d executed someone? How did I accept that? Accept that the man I was once meant to marry was now rotting in a basement?
What would they do with him now? Toss him into the river as some sort of twisted karma? No, that was too risky, someone could find him. Would they just bury him? Submerge him in concrete?
My mind swept over all the mafia movies and books I’d indulged in over the years, but I knew it was pointless to try to figure out. Hell, it was probably just my way of dealing with this situation.
My mind spun endlessly, my chest and heart going through stages of unease and tightness before I’d justify it in my mind and calm down, only for another wave to surge through.
By the time there was a knock on my door, the remnants of my hot drink—still clutched tight in my hands—were cold, and I felt horrendously numb. My emotional battery was drained, tears having escaped a few times, but I’d not fully cried the way a part of me wanted to.
“Vee?” Lorenzo’s voice was distant, like it was trying to fight through the fog of my mind.
“I’m here,” I mumbled, not even sure if he’d hear me.
The door creaked open, and I struggled and failed to pull my gaze from my mug as I saw him enter with Zane and Kieran from the corner of my eye.
“Hey, how are you doing,topolina?” he asked gently as he knelt down before me, resting one warm hand on my knee.
I let my gaze drift over the edge of my mug to his chiseled face, the warmth and softness in those dark eyes making the haze of my mind lift just a little.
