Page 123 of Breaking Rosalind
My jaw drops, even though I shouldn’t be shocked. Rosalind is an assassin, and the Moirai recruits them young. I wouldn’t be surprised if the last stage of the training was to murder their parents.
“What happened, love?” I ask.
Miranda tells a tale of being abducted as a child by her older sister after witnessing the gruesome deaths of loving parents. I listen, stunned as she explains how Rosalind left her to rot for years in a boarding school, cutting her off from her former life.
I thought my childhood was shitty, but at least I had parents, siblings, and a home. All Miranda had was trauma.
As soon as the wheels touch the ground, I release our seatbelts and reach for Miranda. She jumps into my arms, her tiny frame trembling against mine. I hold on to her tightly, wanting to shield her from the pain of her memories. My heart races with anger and my blood boils with the need to throttle Rosalind for allowing a young child to witness such horror.
“No one will ever hurt you as long as I’m alive,” I murmur into her soft hair.
“What if you break up with Rosa?” she asks, her voice trembling.
Even though her question cuts deep, my answer is immediate. “Not even then,” I say, meaning every word. “I’ll always think of you as a little sister.”
We hug for several moments, and I savor this moment of closeness. Eventually, she pulls back and gazes up at me with glistening eyes and a smile.
“Ready to return to the academy?” I ask.
She grimaces. “I’m going to have so much detention.”
“Our family physician already wrote you a sick note for the time you missed. He accused the academy of giving you a stomach bug.”
“Really?” she asks with a sunny smile.
“If any staff members give you shit for any reason, text me.”
“Because you’re going to…” She jumps out of her seat and shadow boxes.
“That’s right.”
Chuckling, I take her hand and we walk through the plane to the exit. When the doors open with a swoosh of warm air, the morning sun floods in, making my eyes sting. I shield them with one hand and blink away the glare to find a black limo waiting on the tarmac.
The door opens, letting out a smirking Matty Galliano.
FORTY-EIGHT
CESARE
How the fuck did that bastard know I took the jet? I didn’t tell anyone I was leaving town. Someone at the airport must be Galliano’s spy.
He strides toward us, his grin broadening as he takes in the sight of Miranda.
Fury kicks me in the gut. That scaly bastard murdered Tania because he thought we were connected. I won’t let him get his claws on Miranda.
Stepping in front of her, I guide her back toward the attendant. “Wait inside.”
“Why?” she asks. “I thought you were taking me back to the academy.”
“Now,” I bark.
With a muffled yelp, she disappears back into the plane. I turn to the attendant, my teeth flashing. “Did you tell anyone I was on the jet?”
Her eyes widen. “No, Mr. Montesano.”
“Take the girl into the bedroom and keep her out of sight until I return. Fuck this up, and I’ll carve out your liver. Is that understood?”
Terror crosses her features, but she manages to nod. I make a note to extract her organs if I find out she’s the one who called Galliano.