Soulless Devil (Sons of Valentino #3)(54)

“Why?”

“She said she paid those men to…” She lets her sentence trail off. She doesn’t need to finish it.

“She what? I’m going to fucking kill the bitch.”

“That might be hard,” Livvy says.

“Why?”

“Because, by the time we got to her place, Samantha was already… she was hanging from a ceiling fan in the middle of her living room.”

“She killed herself?” I ask, my brows furrowed.

“Yes.”

That doesn’t seem right. A girl like that does not kill herself. Then I remember Izzy’s words. “Romeo, call me.” My cousin knows something that she didn’t tell Livvy. “I’m sorry you had to see that, babe.” I kiss her gently.

“I think I’m a terrible person, Romeo,” she whispers.

“Why on earth would you think that? You’re the best fucking person I know.”

“I’m not. When I saw her, Samantha, I was relieved. I thought, well, at least she can’t bother us anymore. That’s a horrible thing to think when someone has died.”

“You’re not a terrible person. You’re human.”

“That’s not all, though. She said she paid those men to kill me. What if they come back? What if they try to finish their job?” she asks, and her voice quivers.

“That’s not going to happen,” I tell her.

“You don’t know that. They said… He said, ‘Next time, it’s my turn.’ That means they’re planning a next time.”

“Is this why you haven’t wanted to leave the apartment?” I know I haven’t exactly pushed her to socialize. I thought she just needed time. I didn’t know she thought they were out there looking for her.

“I don’t know,” she says. “Partly.”

“Livvy, those men can’t come back for you. I guarantee you that will never happen.”

“How can you know that?”

“Because I killed them. Both of them,” I admit. I wait to see the disgust, the loathing in her eyes. The disappointment that I did the one thing she asked me not to do. I can live with her hate if my words, my actions, give her the peace of mind she so desperately needs. “Say something,” I beg her. Her silence is killing me.

“I’m sorry you had to do that,” she says.

“Olivia, I love you. I will always do whatever has to be done to protect you, to protect us,” I tell her. “I need to know that this is something you can live with, Livvy. The knowledge that I’ve taken lives, that there is no redeeming of whatever soul you think I have.”

“Romeo, you have a soul. Do you know how I know?”

“How?”

“Because it’s the other half of mine. Because good or bad, I love you, Romeo. I don’t want you to have to do those things because of me, but I would never look at you differently for being who you are.”

“I’m going to need you to keep that promise, because Pops wants you at Sunday dinner this weekend.”

Livvy’s eyes open in horror. I just told her that I killed people, that I will again, and the thought of coming to my parents’ house for dinner is what scares her?

“What if they don’t like me?”

“I’ll shoot them.” I laugh. “Relax, babe. There is nothing about you that is unlikeable.”

“That’s not true. There’s plenty.”

“Like what? Name one thing?”

“I never share the last cookie,” she says.

“What? No way. That’s a deal breaker, babe. Sorry. How did I not know you were such a terrible person?” I screw up my face in mock disgust.

“See? Not as perfect as you seem to think.”

“You are perfect. And I’ll always leave the last cookie for you. To eat all by yourself.”

“You say the sweetest things, Romeo.” She smiles. I fucking live to see that smile.





As soon as Livvy is asleep, I slide out of bed and call my cousin. “Took you long enough,” she answers.

“What the fuck happened, Izzy?”

“That little bitch Samantha Something paid those Petrovs to attack Livvy.”

“How certain are you?”

“I saw the bank transactions, Romeo. I’m not an amateur,” she hisses at me.

“How did Samantha end up swinging from a ceiling fan?” I ask her.

“Well, I was planning on doing the job myself, but then I thought I couldn’t really subject Livvy to that. She’s far to innocent. So I had one of the boys do it and make it look like a suicide.”

“Why would you show her that? She didn’t need to see that shit,” I yell into the receiver.

“Yes, she did. She needed closure. She needed to know that the nightmare has ended.”

“Will it ever really be gone, though? Her nightmare? She still wakes up screaming most nights, Iz.”

“I know. I was there. It will take time, Romeo. Just keep doing whatever you’re doing, because that girl is crazy about you.”

“I’m a lovable person, Iz,” I tell her, and she laughs.

“Yep, you are. I gotta go. Talk later.” The line cuts out before I get the chance to say goodbye. Or thank you…