Nothing Burns Like You | 18+ Mafia Romance

26 We Go Down Together

CLARA ROSSI

Three hours after the Kowalski siblings left the house, I found Charlotte by herself drinking wine in the kitchen.

"Where's everyone?" My voice sounded so loud in the quiet.

"Don't know." She looked spaced out. I suppose haunted by the traumatic memories today's intrusion had caused. "Don't care."

I tried to lighten the mood. "Are you going to share some or..." I eyed the bottle beside her, climbing on a bar stool across from her.

She poured me a glass and slid it over the island. I thanked her and for a moment, we just sat there. Struggling to process what happened.

God. It felt like only yesterday when we got here. Only yesterday when I stepped into that diner with Romeo. Only yesterday when I pulled the trigger on my ex before he could pull it on Daniel.

"Is it just me, or is life moving extremely fast?" I wondered.

"It is moving extremely fast. But I also feel like I've been stuck in the same nightmare for ages. I'm so tired of it."

I believed it. I felt sorry. It wasn't fair.

"Do you believe them?" I changed topics.

She shook her head. "If they meant well, they wouldn't have approached like that."

"You guys meant well, but you still kidnapped me," I said. It was the truth. An observation.

She deadpanned. "We didn't shoot you with a tranquilizer."

"Daniel threatened me with one. You guys shattered the windows in my house. He fired at the ceiling. Pointed the gun at my dad. Dragged me in the helicopter. Locked me up-"

"Okay, fineee." She sighed. "But hey! Now you're one of us and we'll torture anyone who tries to hurt you." She gave me a cheeky smile.

I rolled my eyes and chuckled. "Psycho."

"I am."

"Do you think they're telling the truth, though? Do you think we should partner with them and find my dad?"

She hid her gaze. Her answer.

"What?" I pushed.

"Clara, your dad wants to kill us. Well, not you. He won't do that to his own daughter. I imagine he would make you as miserable as possible, though. But us? He wants us dead."

I knew where she was going with this. I knew there were two possible endings. I was just desperately hoping that I wouldn't have to think about either one of them anytime soon.

Her eyes softened with sympathy.

"Daniel has to kill him," I whispered.

"Locking him behind bars won't do anything at this point. He's too powerful."

"What if we run? Without CJ this time. We run as far and as fast as we can?"

"And live the rest of our lives watching over our shoulder? Flinching from every little sound? Being paranoid? That's how we've been living for six years, Clara. At this point, I'd rather sleep with my door open. I can't do it anymore. We can't do it anymore. The guys deserve peace. They deserve to move on. They deserve to heal. You do too." Her throat tightened. "You also don't deserve to live like that. None of us do."