Ripped Veil - A Mafia Romance

ins his reaction. He doesn't give into hysteria like I would have.

king about him sends me

ingers, and I have the sudden

cry. On top of that, the fogginess keeps draping over me in waves at the most unexpected times

ck from the horrific truth of m

ed, Ozol. But I know who you are

gs don't c

ve in th

r deaths. You ought to run a t

ng to know more and wanting to never hea

Ozol begins, his tone

didn't happen often. But when it did, it was like a rolling storm that s

is the

blue eyes

hair, but I don't quite manage to make my

protector growls. "She ha

me here to kill me," Ozol says. "Is

t bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time. But you're r

gunshot pierces throug

register

d man who decided to protect me when

ad that's telling me to stay put. I expect to s

he hasn't be

body moving with a grace tha

eams as he fires off an

knife in his hand. It twists through the air, wi

o the floor a few feet from me. My first instinct is to recoil from

pounding in my head, I'm not naïve enough

ards my protector. It spins across the floor, dragging in

the time I've blinked, he's grabbe

re still weak and wobbly. The two guards that Ozol yelled for come hurtling in at

econd two both strike the first guard in the chest. He plummets to

ack with fear. He acts t

for me, I'm pa

k is pressed against his chest, and now I'm facing my protector. Someh

blurs behind another bout of dizziness an

him growl. "Or I wi

't hurt her," the ma

dangerous promise. "You're fuc

r go," he practically yel

protector nods.

chest as he clutches me close. I have long enough to register his smell-a dark, swirling colog

nd of a

, trembling, I

It's his darkness that makes him so beautiful. In m

ion comes o

kille

ds. "

him. One hand on my jaw, forcing me to look at hi

isper in a tiny voice. "You

not worth keeping,"

s lying on the stained carpet. I just walk blind

be scared of h

myself at the mome

t a fire to co

n without a ba

a home or a fa

oor and pushes me th

The taps and faucets are gold. The tile is marble. The high ceiling bears clusters of glittering stars, hu

me to see that my prote

he fact that we're strangers. Just because he hasn

d of you?" I ask,

s flash

, but I don't need it. For some

e you?"

ay, a tear slipping loose

m I anymore? I'm no longer Elyssa Redmond. I'm

don't

any

ace really began. There's so much I can't remember. And

n't want to. There's something comforting about his prese

hrough somethi

tion, but I nod anyway

ing my hand and leading m

hing at all. While I sit there, wondering what he's doing, he grabs a hand towel from a ring next to