Chapter 4 - The Midnight FlightThe cold ocean wind whipped through the open balcony doors of the north suite.
Avery stood at the railing, looking down at the dark, crashing waves against the cliffs below. She had stripped off the heavy wedding gown, leaving it in a ruined heap on the Persian rug. In its place, she wore a simple black wool sweater and dark trousers. Her hair was tied back in a messy knot.
A small leather suitcase sat beside the door.
She knew the security cameras were watching. She knew the armed guards patrolling the perimeter would shoot before she reached the front gates. But staying in this house of monsters was no longer an option.
The door clicked open.
Avery spun around, her hand closing defensively over a heavy silver candlestick from the mantelpiece.
It was Dominic.
He had discarded his tuxedo jacket. His white dress shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing the dark, jagged scars of a life steeped in violence. His eyes were red-rimmed, haunted by a grief and rage that made him look terrifyingly human.
“Where are you going?” Dominic asked softly, stopping ten feet away.
“Away from you,” Avery said, raising the candlestick like a weapon. “Your father lied about my sister. My father’s men burned my body. We are both living among ghosts, Dominic. There is nothing left here for either of us.”
“You’re right,” Dominic said.
Avery blinked, her grip on the candlestick loosening slightly. “What?”
“My father lied about everything,” Dominic said, his voice cracking slightly. He took a slow step forward. “He killed my sister by letting a rival syndicate take the blame. He burned you alive to steal a shipping lane. And I... I married you as the final trophy of a war built on garbage.”
Avery stared at him, searching his face for a trick, a cruel joke, a mafia interrogation tactic. But she found only absolute, crushing devastation.
“Why are you telling me this?” she whispered. “You could keep the lie going. Nobody would ever know.”
“Because I spent my whole life thinking I was a avenging angel,” Dominic said, stopping just an arm’s length away from her. He didn't try to take the candlestick. He didn't try to touch her. “I was just a monster following another monster’s playbook. And the only innocent person in this entire city was wearing an antique lace dress to hide what my family did to her.”
Avery’s lower lip quivered. She dropped the heavy silver candlestick. It hit the floor with a dull thud.
“It hurts, Dominic,” she whispered, tears finally breaking free. “Every day. Every time I move.”
May you like
Dominic reached out, his hands trembling as he gently cupped her face. His calloused thumbs brushed away her tears with a tenderness that felt impossible.
“Let me help you burn it down,” he said.
