𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 ✔️

Chapter 43

"Get the fuck away from me!" she yelled, still continuing to try and get around me.

I placed my hands on her shoulders and leaned in close to her even though she was fighting to get out of my grip. I told her sternly, "He needs to think you are dead. The only way this ends is if he thinks you're dead."

"Who?" she questions, slowing stopping the fight to get away from me, her breathing rapid. 

"Bruno."

"Why the hell would Bruno want me dead?" her voice is once again loud. I curse under my breath.

I sighed, "He was jealous of your relationship with Reid, he wants Reid all to himself. He called me on my birthday and ordered a hit against you, and I accepted it. I asked Reid to invite you over on my birthday so I could kill you, but I couldn't do it. So then I paid Tomas to bring you to that party to kill you, and I just couldn't fucking do it. Something tugged on my heart and I just couldn't. Then I had a deadline of March 31st to kill you, which is today. But I never expected to fall in love with you. Every single day my love for you grows more and more and I could never imagine a world without you. I'm so sorry that I had to hurt you, but he needs to think you're dead for this to end. We can go and live in Philadelphia still, away from this world. Just please say you'll come with me."

She asked angrily, "How did you know I wouldn't die when you stabbed me?!"

"I've been doing this for a long time, Hailey. I know exactly where a stab wound would kill and where it won't."

It was an art I had mastered. 

She took a deep breath, taking a step back from me. She crossed her arms as she said, "So you just expect me to play dead for the rest of my fucking life? You're fine with my parents and Reid thinking I'm dead?"

"Of course I'm not fine with it. I don't want you to have to live that way. But if I kill Bruno and Alessandro then a war is started that I won't win and we will both end up dead," I explain. 

She remained silent for a moment. Eventually, she said, "You've been lying to me. You were lying to me this entire time."

"I know I was," I agreed. "But it was out of fear. I couldn't bear the thought of you hating me. I never wanted you to know, I wanted to figure out who it was on my own and kill them but now I can't because of Alessandro."

I took a step towards her but she took a step back. It felt like a knife was in my heart and being twisted as I watched my biggest fear come true in front of me. I pleaded as a tear rolled down my cheek for the first time in 15 years, "Please don't hate me."

Her face softened and she uncrossed her arms. This time when I took a step forward, she didn't take one backward. I put my hands on her warm cheeks and she whispered, "You should've told me. I deserved to know."

"I know. I'm so sorry, I really thought that I could deal with it on my own," I replied as I circled my thumb against her cheek.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She then whispered, "I don't want my friends and family to think I'm dead. I'm not going to live my life that way, I'm not playing dead."

"I know, baby. But what other option do we have?" my voice is desperate for her to understand. 

She quickly replied, "I'm going to kill Bruno and Alessandro."

My eyes widened. Bruno and Alessandro could kill her in seconds. I shook my head, "No, no, no, I'm not letting you go and try to do that."

"I'm not faking my death, Aero," she argues angrily. 

I ran my tongue along my bottom lip as I looked to the side. We haven't told anybody besides her mom and Reid about the move. If I put a different name on the house, maybe Alessandro's men wouldn't be able to find us.