Finding Beauty in the Darkness - Nikki Ash Page 0,90

fucking baby.

You’re saving me again.

I did this! I saved her and then brought her into this life. I swore to protect her and keep her safe and I broke my promise. In my world, people kill over broken promises.

Johnny sat with me in silence for who knows how long before I let out a sigh and got to work figuring shit out. I made several calls and called in a lot of favors, and while it felt like my chest was being crushed the entire time, making it hard to breathe, I knew I was doing the right thing. When I was done, I started to clean up my destroyed office, until Vivian knocked on the door to let me know Aria was waking up. I nodded and stood to go upstairs.

Now I’m standing in front of the bed, staring at Aria. Her eyes are open but they look distant and lost. She blinks slowly but doesn’t say a word. She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever met but even the strongest, break, and my girl is broken. I put a call in to her psychiatrist and she’s going to be here soon.

I sit next to Aria on the edge of the bed. “We need to talk.”

She looks up at me with unshed tears. “You don’t need to say it. I already know.”

“Know what?”

“Sometimes you have to love someone enough to let them go.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

GIOVANNI

One year later

“Giovanni! Earth to Giovanni!” Natalie waves her hands in front of my face, snapping me out of my daydream.

“Yeah. Sorry. Just a lot on my mind. What’s up?”

Natalie gives me the same look she always gives me when she catches me spacing out. “Your mom is here. She’s at the bar having a drink.”

“Okay, thanks.” I stand from behind my desk and close the file I was supposed to be looking at but wasn’t really paying attention to. That seems to be the story of my life this past year. My numbers are down, memberships have decreased, and I don’t really give a fuck about any of it. I head out to the front to meet my mom, looking forward to having a drink more than conversing with her.

“Scotch neat,” I tell Edgardo as I sit next to my mom, who’s sipping on her usual fruity drink. I don’t bother starting a conversation. She’ll do it for me.

She places her drink down and turns toward me. “It’s time for you to go.”

“Go where? I don’t have any meetings today.” Edwardo places my scotch down and I pick it up, downing it in one large gulp before knocking on the bar top for him to get me another.

“To her, Giovanni. I need my son back.”

I let out a humorless laugh and take a slightly smaller sip of the new drink in front of me. “What the hell are you talking about, Mom?” I take another sip and finish off the drink.

“I was wrong last year. I was thinking like the wife of a mob boss and not like your mother. I never should have told you to let her go.”

“It doesn’t even matter. She’s halfway across the world and safe. What would I do? Bring her back here, into this life again? So, what? She can get kidnapped and raped again?” I wince at my own words and reach over the bar, grabbing the bottle of scotch to pour myself another drink.

“Natalie tells me you are drunk every day, Giovanni. We’ve all watched you self-destruct this past year. I thought you would come around but you haven’t.”

“What the fuck do you all want from me?” I roar. Members and staff turn their gaze on me, and I force my voice lower. “You wanted me to let her go, so I did. Dad threatened her. He wouldn’t even help find her unless I agreed. I did what you wanted. What. More. Do you want from me?”

I take a swig straight from the bottle, not even bothering to pour it into the glass tumbler.

“Aria…” my mom says, and I cut her off.

“Don’t you say her name! Her name is not allowed to leave your fucking mouth.” I swipe the bottle and tumbler across the bar, both flying off the end and crashing to the ground. Edgardo jumps into action, without even giving me a second glance, to clean it up. This isn’t the first, third, or probably thirteenth damn time glass has been broken at this bar. My elbows hit the bar top, my head going into my