The hatred I had for Liam ran deep. I hated him for his sheer incompetence. He was the one who sent me to jail; the reason I’d been caged like an animal. Every day, behind those bars, I’d stewed with resentment, replaying the events that had led me there like a broken record.
I hated that he couldn’t keep Rosalie, his own flesh and blood, safe. If he had an ounce of sense, of foresight, Rosalie would still be here. She’d be laughing, not confined to a six-foot grave. Everything could’ve been different, if only he’d been worthy of the title of father.
Because of him, the only way I could hear her laugh again was if I took opium. With the frequency I wanted to hear her laugh, I’d need the marina to get more of it.
Funny how that works, isn’t it?
But I couldn’t get the marina on my own. Which was why working with Mikhail was the best choice I could make. It also gave me a distraction from the grief. I couldn’t live in a world where Rosalie didn’t exist. I saw nothing but agony. I’d become a person who was able to survive without consciousness. I’d never felt more alone in my life.
That was why I liked working for Mikhail. I’d found a friend in him. He was mostly a brick wall, lacking any human emotion, but he seemed to balance me out, keep me in check.
I’d lied to Giovanni, the capo, about working with Mikhail for the past year. When he found out, he knew we couldn’t back out, because I’d taken it too far. Same with the Clarkes.
My bad. The things we do for love.
Much as Giovanni didn’t like Mikhail, we needed his help. It was easier to take care of the Clarkes instead of making another deal with them.
“He wants me to put an end to this Clarke shit,” I told him, flicking the ash off the cigarette. Smoking was a habit I couldn’t break.
“Just tell me when,” Mikhail muttered, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners. He was happy to join me.
It was always the same with Mikhail—he was at the center of most problems, constantly acting without thinking about the consequences. His impulsive nature was both his strength and his weakness.
As we stood there, a shorter woman with light blonde hair stepped outside, turning her attention to me and Mikhail. That was Sloane—Mikhail’s conscience, and the one person who could possibly keep him in check. God knew he needed her.
“Please stop putting yourselves at war,” she said.
I liked her. I thought she was good for Mikhail. I also thought she was too much for him. She stood with her arms crossed, glaring at both of us as if we were in the wrong for wanting to protect her.
Mikhail and Sloane started to argue, then she started to argue with me.
Sloane rolled her eyes when Mikhail grabbed onto her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He turned toward me, putting his chin on top of her head while he held her.
They looked like heaven and hell together.
“Rose!” Sloane shrieked, the name cutting through me like a sharp knife.
I turned to her quickly. “What the fuck did you just say?” The question tumbled out in a panicked rush, my heart pounding against my rib cage as if trying to break free.
Rose.The name sent my mind into a chaotic whirlwind. Hearing someone else say it made my chest ache more than it did before.
Sloane looked offended by my tone. “That’s my friend. I’ll be right back,” she muttered, her voice fading into the background as I fixed my attention on another sound.
It was a familiar voice calling out to Sloane.
I felt my chest tighten.
That sounded a lot likemyRosalie.
I focused my gaze on the woman. She looked a lot like my Rosalie too.
Was there an entirely different person approaching me and I was just seeing what I wanted to see? This was exactly why I’d stopped taking opium. The hallucinations had gotten too intense, and I’d believed she was still here to an extent, yet never completely.
But this time it was different. It felt real.
She locked eyes with me, and it was terror that took over, not love. She’d never looked at me like that before.
I grabbed onto Sloane’s waist quickly and brought her closer to the door, away from the ghost that haunted me. It was strange that Sloane could see her, but I knew if I entertained the delusions, I’d end up a madman.
