AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You can relay that to him… I have not even gotten started yet.” I place my hand on Sebastian’s left cheek, my face inches from his. “Give your boss my regards,” I tell him, and while my voice is calm, it comes out breathy. “I’m sure we’ll see each other soon.”
I lean in, placing my lips to his cheek, pressing my mark onto him.
“Keep that there,” I order him in a feather-light tone. “Red suits you.”
I don’t leave him with room to speak. I merely give him a small smile, drop my hand from his face, and wave at the door.
“Vinnie will see you out.”
My order isn’t direct, but Vinnie earned his place, and he’s good to read between the lines enough to cause me no issues. Sebastian leaves without another word, and I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. Part of me prays it’s because he knew I meant business, but we were all bred from the same cesspit. We all think alike.
Pushing the thoughts away, I face the cityscape out of the window, trying to calm the mild shake in my hands as my adrenaline dwindles. I’m a woman with more than one closet full of skeletons, but ultimately, I’m only human.
Andreas clears his throat behind me, and while I look over my shoulder a little, I don’t make any movement to face him.
“Is there something I should know?”
I told Andreas how trust is like a paper coffin—I meant every word of that. I’m not about to repeat the meaning behind it when I was clear enough the first time around.
This was one thing I always kept close to my heart, no matter how burnt the edges of my faith are. I never waver from that teaching.
Mon Cheri, trust is like a paper coffin. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Every now and then, my father’s voice will taunt me, echoing from a deep recess in my subconscious where he lies in wait. The man who loved me enough to teach me about our way of life, to embrace me into it, vanished as quickly as the man I pledged to spend my life with.
Both of them are demons that forever claw at my ankles.
I know I was burning the casket our friendship rested in with the darkness I threw him into, but what was I to do? We both threaten our friendship with the secrets we keep sacred.
“Do you think he’s right?” Andreas asks. His voice is quiet, meek almost. “Do you think it would be best if we left?”
“Possibly, but it’s not an option.” Now, I face him. “For you it is, but for me, it isn’t.”
“I’m not leaving you,” he says, advancing for me. He grabs my hands, unwilling to let me get away from him. “I know I wanted away from this life, but I want you away from it too, Talia. What part of that don’t you get?”
“I get it,” I tell him, softly squeezing his hands. “I get that you think I deserve something bigger and better than this, but I wouldn’t be true to myself if I left now.”
“Why not? You left seven years ago. Why come back?”
“Because there’s unfinished business.” I shake him off. “I need to go out.”
“Natalia, it’s almost midnight, and it’s pouring out.” He follows the tracks I leave as I move around the room. “If you’re going out, I’m coming with you.”
“I’m not going far. I just need to work out where we go from here.”
“We could leave.”
My heart pangs painfully at how easy his plan is. It also aches at how his own heart is set on this action. I gave him every red flag possible, and with each, I gave him the get-out clause, but Andreas remained faithfully by my side. Leaving isn’t an option, and I’m not built to admit defeat.
I did that once, and the torment of that is one I live with daily.
I’ll leave the city when I have what I need. Dark justice.
“I’m not leaving, Andreas. Not yet, anyway. He took everything from me. I’m not about to leave that all behind again.”
“But at what cost, though, Tally?”
I meet his eyes with a coldness I know he dislikes.
