AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“In the end, you are no different than Salvitore was. The same demented need for bloodshed and destruction that ran in his veins feeds your black heart.”
“NO!” She grabbed his hand, but he shook her fingers off. “Please listen to me, Daddy! Yes, I made that promise, and I was resolute that it was what I was going to do, except... Splendor Orchard... the land, Louisiana... all of it changed me before I even met you. The final nail in the coffin of the old Aria Sanchigo was the night I met you. By then, I had already lost all desire to return to my old life. I wanted out. I have for a very long time. Falling in love with you and Keith... it gave me purpose, something to cling to, and pull me out of the mire that was the Sanchigo family business.”
“And I’m supposed to believe you? Do you honestly think spurting all this bullshit is going to keep me from handing you over to the authorities? You are nothing but a criminal, Ms. Sanchigo. Yes!” His eyes turned glacial. “I contacted some of my informants. I know exactly who and what you are. Like Salvitore, you’re a fucking murderer. You deserve what you’re about to get... to rot in jail.”
“You’re right,” she said miserably. “I am nothing but a criminal.”
With her shoulders hunching forward, she turned and walked away. Ignoring Kevin’s furious call, she ran down the fire escape. He caught her as she made her way toward the exit of the building, where the police chief stood talking to Kaden.
“Where do you think you’re going?” With a hard hand on her shoulder, he yanked her around.
“I’m going to hand myself over. You are right, Kevin. I don’t deserve to be happy. God knows I don’t deserve your love, but I will forever treasure my feelings for you and Keith within me.” She smiled sadly. “I might rot in jail, but my love will burn a bright light inside me to keep me whole. I will pay for the things I have done. I didn’t ask to be born into a life of crime, but I was, and the only way to survive inside such a family is to become one of them. I did the only thing I ever knew and was taught to do.
“Had I known that one day I would meet two wonderful, loving, and caring men like you, I would’ve fought tooth and nail to get out.” She pulled herself out of his hold. “Now it’s too late. I was a horrible person. Yes, I... I killed people. Like you said, I’m a murderer, and I have to live with those memories for the rest of my life. Most of the people I killed... I don’t even recall their names.”
She stared at the ambulance, tears filling her eyes as she watched Keith slowly sitting upright inside as he came to.
“I’m a bad woman, and I will pay my debt to society.” Her eyes pleaded with him one last time. “Believe it or not, I love you, Daddy... I always will.”
With her words resonating inside his mind, he watched her turn and walk toward the chief of police. His gaze drifted toward the ambulance. Relief flooded his heart as he noticed Keith sitting up, looking confused but alive.
“Fuck, why does life have to be so Goddamn complicated,” he mumbled as he ran after her. Without breaking his stride, he plucked her into his arms and changed direction... toward the ambulance.
“What— Ooh!” Aria cried out in surprise and clawed at his neck when the ground suddenly seemed too far away. “What are you doing?”
“We need to talk about this,” he grumbled as he stomped onward. “I’m not going to be able to live with Keith if I let you walk into a hellhole prison in China. Besides, he loves you, and he’ll be heartbroken if you don’t fight to stay with him.”
Kevin felt her small hands curve around his cheeks to force his eyes to hers. Tears were streaming down her face.
“Is it only Keith, Daddy?”
For the first time since he met her, she sounded small and insecure. It didn’t sit well with him that he was the cause of her reaction. Still, he was still too raw and hurt by her deceit to let her off that easily.
His voice was gruff when he responded. “Let’s concentrate on finding a solution to keep you out of jail, Babygirl. That’s the most important thing at the moment.” His eyes darkened as she started sobbing quietly. “I’m not a forgiving type of man, Aria. It’s going to take a while for me to accept that you deliberately betrayed me... us. For me, trust, once broken, isn’t earned back easily.”
“I will prove to you that I am trustworthy, Daddy. I have nothing else to hide, and I promise never to lie to you again.”
“I know, Babygirl, because if you do, you won’t get a third chance.” He lowered her to the ground but kept her behind him as they reached the ambulance. “You still breathing, Keith?”
“What the fuck happened?” Keith sounded annoyed, but Kevin could hear the fear trickle through.
“We’ll discuss it later. I’m just happy you’re okay. Fuck, my life passed before my eyes when I saw you go down. I thought you were dead.” He got into the ambulance and reached for Keith. “Get the fuck over here.”
“Shit, Kev, I never thought about death until I felt that bullet hit my chest. Fuck... I’m not ready to die. Not until we have our own happy family.”
Kevin didn’t hide his own tears as he looked at Keith.
“Maybe one day we’ll find a baby girl who wants us for us. I’m not gonna give up, and neither should you.”
“Hmm,” Kevin smiled broadly as he gestured at Aria to join them. “We already found our Babygirl, Keith. Besides, you made it very clear that you won’t allow us to hand her over to the authorities, and since I have to live with you, I took your warning to heart.”
“I’m so sorry, Daddy,” Aria couldn’t stop the tears as she got onto Keith’s lap and clung to him, sobbing her heart out.
If Kevin didn’t believe anything she had said until that moment, the raw pain shining through her sorrow of knowing she had hurt her Daddy was all the proof he needed.
Keith winced but wrapped his arms around her and held on as if his life depended on it. His eyes lifted to Kevin’s, filled with wonder and love.
“You softy you,” he said with a wide smile.
