Page 462 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

I sweep my tongue over my dry lips.

But I still ran onto that roof.

I still tried to knock Conor’s gun out of his hand because I couldn’t let anyone else get hurt or see anyone else suffer.

Too much blood has been shed.

Too much rage has destroyed lives.

I couldn’t stand by and let something bad happen to innocent people.

Makes me feel like there’s hope for me.

A sliver of good I can cultivate.

I’ve hurt a lot of people in my life. Extinguished a lot of lives.

Some of them deserved it.

But did they all?

I never got a chance to make that determination. I only got the orders, no questions asked.

No ability to decline the instruction.

Someone like Conor? It’d have been a pleasure to put a bullet between his eyes.

But I can’t be this person anymore.

I want more.

The good things I’ve missed out on.

I probably screwed up my chance for that, but I know I did the right thing and that’s a start.

I swallow but my throat is drier than the Mojave. “Water,” I mumble weakly. “But…I…can’t…reach,” I whine to myself since I’m alone in this vast space.

The door to my room creaks open and I slide my arm slightly away from my eyes to see who it is. Maybe a nurse? Someone who can grab me a straw?

But it’s not a nurse.

It’s Dante.

And as I look up into his concerned gaze, I remember something else…

At least I think I do. I was in shock, bordering on unconscious.

Maybe it was just a manifestation of my need to be loved…by him.

He smooths my hair away from my face. “How are you feeling?”

I make a pained face. “Not great,” I croak.

“Do you remember what happened?”

“Honestly, it was so fast, I only have little splotches of memories.” I point to the water on the nightstand. “Can you please get that for me?” I rasp.

He pours some into a cup, sticks a straw in it, and holds it up to my lips. I drink it down and as it slips down my parched throat, I truly believe that nothing has ever tasted so good.

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