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“She confessed.”
I stare blankly at Aria Rossi, not realizing someone else was beside me. I repeat her words slowly in my head.
“Impossible,” I scoff.
I attempt to rub at my eyebrow, the one that has a line through it because of the saw my father pushed me into as a kid. My fingertips hardly graze it with my hands shackled to the table. I can feel the raised bump of the scar from the butcher saw that brushed against me years ago.
I try to rip my hand from the metal holding me back, but my struggle is useless.
“Romeo!” I holler, standing, trying to lift the table and anything else I can muster. Nothing moves, it only cuts into the flesh along my wrists. My sister-in-law doesn’t flinch at my outburst. She gives me this patronizing look, silently scolding me.
Sienna’s haunted eyes flash before me as I remember just standing there, doing nothing. I should be jumping around for joy as Aria has reminded me many times already. There will be no chance of anyone looking for me again. This was the reason I wanted a vacation originally. I wanted the papers to stop writing about me, and now I realize I would much rather the media circus than for Sienna to take my place.
I can only imagine the hate running through her at this moment. She probably thinks I set her up, used her for my own benefit, when that was never the case.
For the first time in my life, I loved someone who I didn’t pledge loyalty to because we’re family. Before Sienna, the only person who had my loyalty was Romeo, not even my other brothers Dante and Savio. To be honest, I hardly remember my younger brothers. Our mother swept them away with her when they were so young and I was fighting to stay alive in my father’s world. I’ll protect Dante and Savio with my life, but it’s not the same. I would destroy the world for Sienna, burn everything to the ground for her and spit on everyone’s ashes.
“This can be a good thing.” Aria says the same shit everyone else has been. Her boldness continues to shock me and my eyes fly to hers.
“I could snap your neck before you realized I’ve reached over the table.” I speak through clenched teeth, my skin warming at my anger. There’s a slight tremble rolling through my body as I try to get myself under control.
Aria doesn’t look scared by my outburst. She sits there, quietly studying me like a new rare specimen she wants to dissect.
“In my professional opinion, I think you should lie low until this goes away. It’s the mafia way. If you want to show mercy, kill her. She’ll feel less pain that way.”
Her words are harsh for such a pretty woman. You would never guess that from her soft demeanor, but she didn’t get to the top being soft, I suppose. She deals with mafia men all day long.
“Kill her,” I scoff, my voice eerily calmer than a moment ago. “That’s your suggestion?”
She tilts her head, watching me for any reaction. “Everything in life comes full circle. You were contracted to kill her in the first place, correct? A little prison accident will fly under the radar quite easily.”
Aria stands, silently excusing herself, and I’m left sitting there stunned. I’m no coward, and having Sienna take the fall, never mind killing her, seems like a coward’s way out. There’s nothing noble about it. Not that I’m noble in any way.
I do have honor though. I can’t keep my head high or feel good about myself if I do as Aria suggests.
My stomach twists at the thought of Sienna not being in this world. Holy shit, I think I’m gaining a conscience. A gray, almost burned one, but a conscience nonetheless.
For the first time in my life, I don’t hear my father yelling at me for being stupid. His voice is the one normally rattling in my brain when I’m stressed out.
I flick my tongue to the top of my mouth to force my teeth to unclench. My father is nowhere to be heard and I’m not sure what to make of it. Maybe, for once, this is the right thing to do. When it comes to Sienna, I’m not a killer. I’ve always identified myself as one. I’m the black cloud that was shoved in a box and I did as people expected. Everyone sees me as this one-dimensional thing. Not anymore.
A few hours later, Aria is back, still trying to wear me down, but my brothers are nowhere to be seen. Nowthoseare cowards, too scared to see my reaction after they ganged up on me.
She sits back down, staring at me point blank, using her serious face.
“Max,” she starts. “No amount of money is going to get her off. We need to look at reality. They have hard evidence. So, unless you plan to walk in there and confess…”
I don’t even turn my head to look at Aria. I refuse to listen to anyone who doesn’t believe in me. And thatwasmy idea. I’ve yet to come up with a better one.
Collecting myself, I focus on not speaking too harshly, trying to get into her head, needing her to listen to what I’m trying to tell her. “Aria, do you remember when you fell in love with your husband?”
Her face softens and I can practically see those invisible hearts floating in her eyes. This is good, maybe she will see reason.
“How would you feel if he was taken away from you?” I ask softly, not wanting to come across too harshly.
She licks her lips, her eyes narrowing toward me. She’s taking this personally, I can see those imaginary daggers trying to stab me.
“I’m not threatening, I’m just asking. How did you feel when he was ripped from you all those years ago?” I wait for an answer as we both stare at each other. She’s trying to figure me out, or my ulterior motive.
