Page 48 of Aldo

I should have been horrified. He had murdered a man. Brutally.

But instead, all I felt was grateful.

“Roman got in a few rounds too,” he added. “He was already suffering when I got there. I added to it.”

I sighed and shut my eyes. “Thank you.”

I felt his touch on my face. “Don’t be afraid of me, baby. I would never hurt you.”

“I’m not afraid.”

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, but I got the words out before I fell asleep.

“I love you.”

ALDO

I stared down at Violet, her injuries screaming and feeding my anger. I had never known such rage. The instinct to protect, to kill what was hurting the person I loved, was as penetrating as it was powerful. But the person responsible for her pain was dead—at my hands. I had made sure he suffered, felt the same fear as she no doubt had when he’d attacked her. But I didn’t give him any false hope that he would make it through the night. I had picked him apart piece by piece, breaking bones, tearing flesh until he was a quivering mass of pain in front of me. I got the names of other women he had hurt and had Gordon run them through our members’ player passes. The fact that he had used this casino and business as a hunting ground had already earned him a painful, prolonged session with Roman. I would make sure the other women he had hurt or terrified found out the man who had caused it was dead and they had nothing to fear. All the names would go to our contact at the police department, along with the hand I’d cut off as he screamed. I planned to make sure all the women were compensated somehow—something to help them rebuild their lives. I knew Roman would want to be part of the gesture, and although the women would never know where it came from, we would rest easier.

What was left of him was being cremated, then would be taken to the dump. He didn’t deserve a burial or to be remembered. He had no family, no friends, and no one to mourn him.

His presence and memory would be wiped away.

I sat down, looking at Vi, hating the fact that she was there, lying in a hospital bed. Wishing I could hurt him again. I wondered if she would still love me if she knew how I’d tortured him. How I had killed other people.

Would those sweet words still fall from her mouth? Would she look at me the same way?

I had never seen someone look at me the way she did. With absolute trust. Adoration. Her face lit up when she saw me. My heart sped up every time I captured a glimpse of her.

Did hers do the same?

Was I really capable of love?

Was that what this emotion I felt every time I saw her, every time I thought about her, was?

Love?

I scrubbed my hands over my face. I watched her chest rise and fall in slumber. The pain medication they were giving her was helping her rest. I matched my breathing to hers, slowly feeling calmer. I slid my hand over hers, a smile breaking out on my face when she flipped her hand and entwined our fingers, while still sleeping. I studied her, my plans in place for the next while. Roman knew I wasn’t going to be around much for a few days, and he assured me he had it covered.

“She’s special,” he said quietly when I arrived and found him seated beside her, answering emails on his phone.

“Did she wake up?”

“Yes. We talked a little. She is…” He smiled. “She is your other half, Aldo.”

I frowned, and he placed his hand on my shoulder. “You deserve it. You deserve her.”

“I just murdered a man in cold blood and enjoyed it. What kind of person does that?”

“A man protecting the woman he loves. It is part of the world we inhabit, Aldo. It doesn’t change the man you are. You are, I think, exactly what she needs.” He paused. “She is exactly what you need. Take care of her. Talk to her.”

“And tell her what when she asks?” I questioned. “Because she is going to ask.”

“She already did, and I told her. She was grateful. To both of us.”

That surprised me.

“She knows who you are. She still loves you. She told me that.”