Page 207 of I Will Mend You
She draws back, places both hands on my shoulders and drinks me in. “Are you okay? We were both so worried when Xero told us you were taken. I’m Aria.”
I gulp. “Pleased to meet you, and I’m fine.”
Aria flicks her head toward the femme fatale standing by the window. “That’s Elania. We’re twins, but not identical.”
“Oh.”
I glance back at Elania, who rolls her eyes, confirming that Aria is bullshitting. The only differences between the two women are their hairstyles, shoes, and make up.
“If there’s anyone showing you disrespect, you let us know,” Aria says. “Your aunties will take care of the assholes and leave no traces.”
“Thanks,” I say with a nervous laugh.
Elania steps forward. “We’d like to apologize for keeping our distance. Your mother wanted to protect you from our line of business.”
“Now that you’re old enough to take care of yourself, you’re more than welcome to join the fold,” Aria says with an earnest nod.
I rub the back of my neck and try not to squirm at the prospect of working for the mafia. “Actually, I prefer to write.”
“Leave the girl alone.” Elania offers me a manicured hand and a warm smile. “It’s good to finally meet you, although we hoped to have more involvement in your rescue.”
She shoots Xero a filthy glance, which only makes him grin. Aria claps him hard on the shoulder. It’s a gesture that would knock most people forward, but Xero just stares at her with raised brows.
“Elania’s going to take Amy to the chapel, so she can say her goodbyes,” Aria says. “Take a seat. Tell me if there’s anyone we need to kill.”
“I’m staying with Amethyst,” Xero says.
“It’s okay,” I reply. “I need to face them alone.”
He gazes down at me, his brow furrowed, and I respond with a reassuring nod. Cupping my cheek, he leans down and gives me a soft peck on the lips. “I’ll be here if you need me.”
Nodding, I leave with Elania, who guides me through the crematorium’s stark hallway. The click-clack of her heels on the marble floor reminds me a little of Dolly. The walls, devoid of decorations, save for the occasional cross, echo her steps.
As we round a corner, two large men in body armor step into our path. Elania simply lifts a finger, and they straighten before stepping aside to let us pass.
“Don’t worry about Xero,” she murmurs, her voice low. “He’s perfectly safe with my sister.”
My lips twitch. “Shouldn’t you be worried about Aria?”
“We did our research. Contrary to what the media says, Xero Greaves isn’t a deranged psychopath. At least not compared to some assholes we know.”
I bite down on my bottom lip. “Like my father?”
She snorts. “Compared to Giorgi, Xero is a saint.”
As we stop at a wooden door, a lump forms in my throat at the reminder of what I read in Mom’s diary about being held captive by my biological father. The Salentino twins would have been about ten at the time she ran away with us and just turned twenty when she returned for help.
A shudder runs down my spine at the thought of having inherited his psychopathic traits.
Elania pushes the door open, letting out a gust of cold air laden with the heavy scent of lilies. The lights are dim, and the decor is mahogany with muted shades of gray that do little to dull the pain throbbing in my chest at the sight of the twin caskets.
“Take as much time as you need.” She squeezes my arm.
“Thanks,” I rasp, still hovering in the doorway.
It takes several moments of soaking in the atmosphere before my body will allow itself to move. My aunt stands in the hallway, offering me silent support.
After what feels like an eternity, I step forward on trembling legs, not knowing what I’ll find. The last I saw of Mom, her neck had been slashed open. She’d died with her eyes wide with terror. Dolly’s violent death hadn’t been much different. When I stabbed her through the chest, her features were frozen in shock.