I killed him.
The thought should horrify me, make me sick. It should make me question everything about who I am and what I've become. But all I feel is relief.
Thad is dead. He can’t hurt me or our baby, or Romeo, who is alive and breathing andhere.
"Miss Beauregard?"
I look up to see Dr. Robinson standing in the doorway. She's still in her scrubs, and there are dark circles under her eyes.
"How is he?" I ask, even though I can see the monitors, and I've been watching his chest rise and fall for hours. I’m so afraid that something is happening underneath the surface, something that no one will catch until it’s too late.
"He's stable." She comes closer, checking the IVs. "The surgery went well. We were able to repair all the damage. He's going to need time to heal, but he should make a full recovery."
The relief that floods through me is so intense it makes me dizzy. I wonder how many times I’ll need to hear it before I feel safe again. "He's going to be okay?"
"Yes." She smiles. "He's going to be okay. He's strong. And he has a lot to live for."
I close my eyes and let the tears come. "Thank you," I manage. "Thank you so much."
"You should get some rest," Dr. Robinson says gently. "He's going to sleep for a while longer. The anesthesia?—"
"I'm not leaving him."
She doesn't argue. Just nods and leaves me alone with Romeo and the machines, and the steady rhythm of his breathing.
—
I must dozeoff at some point because I wake to the sound of footsteps in the hallway. They’re heavy and purposeful, and I sit up straighter, my hand tightening around Romeo's.
Dante Ciresa walks in.
There are lines around his eyes, and gray at his temples. He's wearing an expensive suit, perfectly tailored, and his expression is carefully neutral as he looks at his son.
"Mr. Ciresa." I don't let go of Romeo's hand.
"Miss Beauregard." His eyes shift to me. "I heard what happened."
"From Giulia?"
"From several sources." He moves closer to the bed, looking down at Romeo. "How is he?"
"He's going to be okay. The surgery went well."
Dante nods slowly, and I see something flicker in his expression. Relief, maybe. Or fear that he almost lost his son.
"And you?" he asks. "You're unharmed?"
"I'm fine."
"I understand you killed Thaddeus Whitmore."
The words hang in the air between us, and I feel my heart start to race. This is it. This is where he tells me I'm a liability. That I've brought too much danger to his family.
"I did." I lift my chin. "He was going to hurt our baby. He was going to kill Romeo. I stopped him."
"Good." The word surprises me. "He deserved worse."
I stare at him, shocked. "What?"
