na

were closing around my lungs, sl

scent of Valeria's floral perfume clung to his lapel, a cloying note ag

side, the cardboard box scraping h

tening as he tried to bridge the physical gap between us. "I kn

mfor

on of my marriage and his blatant be

s locking onto mine with an intense, unwavering sincerity. "It is my duty to a dead Ca

eloping mine. He pressed my palm flat against the solid, warm

ed solemnly. "I will step back. I swear to you, Siena, I will nev

seeped through the fa

still bearing the traces of his enemies' blood, swearing a sacred oath that his violent world would never touch me. I rememb

s own lies. That was th

is chest, and the sudden los

opened my mouth to tell him that the severance papers were real, that the

-" I s

plica?" Dante ab

dying on my tongue before

s gaze sweeping around the living room. "The o

aid slowly, a knot formi

timepiece on his wrist. "

k me with the force of

fresh wound he was inflicting. "He saw a picture of Leo's replica on my phone and begged for one. I w

spered, my voice trembling with a low

d. "Leo is strong. He unders

wn the hall, and entered Leo's bedroom. He emerged a min

eks for Dante to have a free evening so the

Dante said, grabbing the keys to

anding quietly in the shadows of the hallway, watching his father

shut, its heavy bolts sealin

our home. I looked at the empty space

, finally finishing my interrupted senten