He Saved Her, I Lost Our Child

ept a secret ledger

when I would leave Blake Santos,

forgetting our anniversary dinner to

s wr

t came when the restau

to his right, shielding Ariana with his body, leaving

spital room with a shatte

d me my eight-week-old fetus hadn't

ing to meet my eyes. "But Dr. Santos ordered us to hold them.

uries?" I

finger," the doctor a

to save the blood reserves f

elling of Ariana's perfume, expecting me to be th

n and wrote the final entr

oints. He kil

Score

cream. I d

ed my extraction team, and vanished in

pte

line

od-stained surgeon's hands. But instead of putting a bullet in my head, he flipped the leather cover shut

his bespoke Italian suit. The scent of antiseptic and expensive scotch clung to him

eally? You've been wat

r opening it to

d have seen the en

ot my birthday to hold her

my ribs. I was standing in the center of our master closet, a space larger than most people'

dn't reach his eyes. His eyes were like shatte

, a man who could silence a room just by walking into it. I had married him for duty, to seal a peace tr

e you this life. You don't exit

ispered. *Omertà.* Silen

m curdled instantly. The arrogance vanished

t the scree

turning his back on me. "There's

minded him, though I already knew it was futile. "Bla

lder holster. "Someone threw a Molotov cockta

. He didn't kiss me

the black leather journal on the bed. S

He chose her cris

dutiful Mafia wife

e heat radiated through the tinted glass of the armored SUV. Police sirens wailed in t

t wait for his bodyguards. He threw open the

tried to grab him. "The fire department

d, shoving Mark aside with a

crid, tasting of burning oil and melted plastic

k in the vehicle," a

man who claimed to be the epitome of lo

rks showered down like deadly confetti. My stomach

ow emerged f

expensive suit singed and ruined

ia

ally. She looked pristine, untouched by the flames, protected entirely by hi

lass. He was whispering to her, stroking her hair, his face twisted

a step

, crashing down onto the sidewalk. Debris flew. A jagged piece

my arm. The pain was

look

ss the chaos. He saw me holding my burne

a whimpered

ics to prep a stretcher, and climbed into the back

ir like grey snow, while the soldiers scrambled to check

e retreating a

rs were a luxury

he digital backup of my ledger,

ked through fire for the mis