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“I…”
What do I say? That he’s under arrest even though he’s dying? On what basis? A confession? Or am I supposed to say that as his daughter, his secret is safe with me?
Alessandro lets my hand go and puts it on his chest as he gasps for air and coughs. Cain grabs my arm.
“That should be enough for now. He needs to rest.”
I nod and let Cain usher me out of the room and down the hall. At first, I remain silent as I walk by his side, still shocked by what I’ve just discovered. Still confused. But then I realize the only way for me to be less confused is to ask questions.
“Did you know all this time?” I ask Cain.
“That your father was a mafia boss? No. I only found out after Sergio abducted you. I didn’t even know Orso had a daughter.”
“Orso?”
“It’s what we call him.”
“We?”
“The ones who know him.”
“You mean the ones who work for him?” I ask. “The members of his family. Are you saying that you…?”
“I’m not a mafioso,” Cain cuts me off. “I just… work for Orso. Well, I used to.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “You mean you used to kill people for him?”
He lets out a breath. “Yes. To be fair, they were all people worse than Orso, just like my father. But I’m not going to make excuses. And I’m not going to lie. Not anymore. I’m a professional killer, Allie. At least, I used to be.”
There’s the truth. Coming from him, it sounds even more overwhelming.
“How many people have you killed?” I ask him. “Just as a… hired killer? Not as a soldier.”
“Forty-two,” Cain answers without flinching.
I draw a deep breath. That’s a lot. Enough to make me speechless.
He holds my hand. “Listen, Allie. I know I’m wrong for you. I’m the worst for you. I want you to know I understand if you never want to see me again, if you want to pretend you never met me. You don’t need to feel any guilt. If you want me to stay away, I’ll do it. Just ask. Anything you ask, I’ll do.”
As Cain speaks, I see only sincerity and concern in his eyes. Or maybe something deeper than concern. It makes me even more confused.
“I’m sorry.” That’s all I manage to say as I pull my hand away.
I hold it firmly against my chest as I bolt, leaving Cain behind, afraid that if I don’t, I might leave my heart as well.
Chapter Twenty
Cain
“Has she left?” Orso asks me hours later when I’m back in his room.
“Yes,” I answer.
I wish Allie hadn’t. I wish she never had to leave my side, but I can’t tie her down. Now that she knows who I am, what I am, she has to decide whether or not she still wants me. She has that right.
“Well, why didn’t you go with her?” he asks. “You love her, don’t you?”
His words puzzle me. “I…”
I stop as I suddenly realize something.
“You planned all this, didn’t you? You sent me to her under the guise of a job, knowing I wouldn’t be able to kill her. You had me stay with her. You insisted on it.”
“I needed someone to protect her from Sergio Bianchi,” Orso says.
“You couldn’t have just told me that? You had to ask me to kill her?”
“I knew you wouldn’t, and I couldn’t tell you that because you would have refused the job. You’re not a bodyguard, after all. And after Antonio died, the last thing you want is someone new to protect.”
I say nothing because he’s right. I would have refused.
“Besides, I wanted you to protect her on your own. I wanted you to learn how to care for her, to open your heart and finally let someone in.”
I meet his gaze. “So you were playing matchmaker?”
Orso shrugs. “You’re the perfect match. She needs someone to protect her and take care of her. A good man. And you need someone to protect, to give you purpose. Someone to spend your life with. Someone to build a future with.”
I shake my head. “I’m not a good man, Orso.”
He snorts. “Only a good man would say that.”
“Allie thinks so, too, and she’s right. I’m a killer, after all.”
“You were doing what you were trained to do, what people paid you to do.”
“I enjoyed it.”
“Because you thought you were doing something good. And you were. All the people you killed, they were criminals, traitors, evil men hiding in suits, people corrupted by power. The world is a better place without them.”
I shrug. “Maybe so, but Allie isn’t going to see it that way and I can’t make her.”
“So what? You’re just going to give up? I thought Cain Archer always finished the job.”
I shake my head. “This isn’t a job, Orso.”
“No. It’s even more important. Something you owe to yourself to see to the end.”
