Chapter 35
A noise in the kitchen stirs me awake.
I relax in the soft sheets, stretching out my arms, and smile at the ceiling.
Flashes of last night run through my mind, replaying like a movie.
Sex with Emilio wasn’t gentle, sweet, or lovey-dovey.
It was messy, chaotic, and fueled with frustration.
Just like our marriage.
Last night, I didn’t only learn that Emilio was amazing in bed, but I also learned where my loyalty was.
It’s not with Aleksy.
Not with the Bratva.
But with the man who protected me from bullets.
Who carried me through the woods when I was too tired to run.
Who maybe murdered the man who’d assaulted me.
My loyalty is to my husband. No one else.
I slide out of bed, wrapping the sheet around my naked body. Goose bumps coat my skin as the cold air hits it, and I leave the bedroom.
Emilio is seated at the kitchen table, a coffee mug in one hand and his phone in the other.
“Morning,” he says, setting both down to provide me his full attention.
He’s shirtless, his dark hair tousled, and his eyes heavy.
Both of us are in dire need of a good night’s sleep—or five.
Doubt those five nights will come anytime soon.
“Coffee?” he asks.
I shake my head, walking into the kitchen. “Just a glass of water is fine.” Holding the sheet with one hand, I open cabinets with the other until I find a glass, fill it, and settle in the chair across from him.
Questions swarm my mind, but I’m not sure where to start.
I lift the glass, take a sip, and finally murmur, “Soo …”
The word lingers between us.
Emilio takes a drink. His gaze drops to the table, and when he lifts his head, his eyes lock with mine.
I hold my breath.
“The woman we took to the hospital last night …” He pauses for a moment, biting into his bottom lip before slowly releasing it. “That was my sister, Aurora.”
I draw back in shock. “Your sister?”
“I keep her listed in my phone as Hannah.”
“So … she’s not dead?” It sounds stupid to ask, but I need to hear him say it, to make sure I’m understanding correctly. “Everyone thinks she died with your mother in the lake.”
He smooths a hand over his jaw. “That was the plan.”
“Is your mom also alive?”
He leans back in his chair, pain spreading along his features. “No. She’s really gone.”
“All the reports say Aurora died with her.”
“That’s what she wanted everyone to believe.”
I swallow. “Why?”
“The day my mother died, she’d tried to leave my father.
He beat her, told her if she ran, then he’d kill her and Aurora.
My mother escaped, loaded Aurora in the car, and took her to their favorite hiking spot.
She called Maggie, asked her to go get and hide Aurora, and said to give me the letter she’d left in Aurora’s bag. ”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand as chills hit me.
“She kissed Aurora goodbye, left, and drove her car into a lake.”
That chill spreads down my entire spine.
“The letter asked me to tell everyone Aurora was in the car with her. My mother figured if my father thought they’d both died, then he wouldn’t go looking for Aurora and hurt her.
She didn’t trust anyone but Maggie and me to protect her.
Maggie had a family friend in Chicago, so we took Aurora there.
For a year, we didn’t contact Aurora once.
We completely cut her off for her own safety.
After my father’s death, we started visiting, but it’s still very limited.
The past year, I’ve tried to make it more regular though. ”
A mother who died to protect her daughter.
A brother who’s keeping that secret for her.
Emilio lowers his voice. “That’s your husband’s biggest secret. Don’t make me regret telling you.”
I inch closer, resting my elbows on the table. “Your secret is safe with me.” I draw back and run my hand through the tangles in my hair. “How’d you know Aleksy asked me to kill you?”
The corners of his mouth form a smirk.
“Your brother is an idiot,” is his answer that really isn’t an answer.
“That much is obvious,” I grumble. “But that doesn’t answer my question.”
“I already told you a secret today.”
“Is there some kind of limit?”
“If we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together, we might as well spread them out.
Learn something new each day, you know?” He stands, takes a long draw of his coffee, and winks at me.
“Now, I need to shower. While I won’t share any more secrets with you now, I have no problem sharing a shower. ”
I stand, undoing the knot holding the sheet up and allowing it to fall to my feet. “Are you saying I’m dirty, husband?”
“I’m saying that I’m ready to fuck my wife again.”