✴ Book 2 of "Taming His Mistress" ✴
Everyone has their demons. Some of us choose to keep them hidden. But what happens when your demons come out to play? You can't run away from them. They're not going away.
Shadow and Angeline faced their share of...
That's it. If Ruvik doesn't find that asshole first, I will. Marylynn was able to discover who may be after us but not why. He is very good at hiding. I looked over at a sniffling Shadow. He wouldn't talk to me. He wouldn't let me hold him. He wouldn't even look at me. I never should have hidden this from him. I just didn't want him involved. I wanted to keep him safe. Safe from knowing the truth about his parents, safe from the lunatic who is after him. And poor Timothy. What was I thinking of bringing him into this? It's one thing to bring him into an emotionally unstable relationship, but to put him in physical danger? I will never forgive myself. I only hope Shadow is willing to forgive me. If he could understand why I did it, maybe he would forgive me for lying to him.
I sighed as we approached Ruvik's home. There was double security outside, which just made my gut churn. Scar was more than a dog. He was a milestone in our lives. He was our baby. Baby number two that I got killed. This is all on me. I should've brought him with us. He was coming on a plane with Marylynn next week! I know Shadow blames himself for his death, but it's 100% my fault. I will never forgive myself.
"Boys, meet me in the library please," I said quietly as I stepped out of the car. The boys headed inside as I fell behind to speak to Ruvik.
"Any news?" I sighed.
"Marylynn and Richard are on their way. With this psycho, it's best to keep everyone together. Ash is staying with us as well. I'm not taking any chances. The report says that he was poisoned. So that asshole must've slipped something into his food." He sighed, tapping away on his phone.
"I have the police on my payroll. If this asshole so much as thinks about Italy, I'll know. Go take care of your boys, I have this handled." He assured me.
"Thank you," I said and walked towards the house. Poisoned eh? So that means if we had stayed, it could have been us. I guess I should be grateful for that. Honestly, I wish it was me. If anyone deserves to die, it's me. Not Scar, and certainly not my boys.
I headed upstairs to the library. I heard soft murmurs that stopped once I entered the room.
"First off, Timothy, I want to apologize for getting you involved in this. It was not fair for me to welcome you in our relationship until the situation was handled. For that, I am deeply sorry." I sat down in front of the boys. Shadow, still avoiding eye contact.
"Angeline, I've been through hell and back. It's a privilege to be here, with the both of you. I will do anything I can to help." He half smiled.
"Thank you, I appreciate it." I smiled back at him and looked over to Shadow.
"Shadow, I know I should not have kept this from you. But I just wanted to keep you safe." I said softly.
"Sure as hell didn't keep Scar safe." He spat angrily. I inhaled sharply, it felt as if he slapped me in the face. He's never been so angry with me. Hell, I don't think he's ever been angry with me.
"I thought he would be safe with Marylynn. But somehow how, the bastard poisoned him. If we had stayed, it could have been us." I looked down at my hands, tears building in my eyes.
"Who is after us?" Tim asked.
"Years ago, Shadow's parents were killed in a fire..." I started. Shadow quickly sat up, his eyes drilling into my head.
"And years ago, my father was a detective. He had a case he never could get solved. He even held on to it during his brief lawyer years. When he passed away, everything he owned, including his business, came to me. I took over looking into the case. The case involved a man and a woman, burned alive in their home." Tears were rolling down my face as I spoke. Shadow was barely breathing as he concentrated on what I was saying.
"When we first met, I was trying to find out your true identity. Marylynn matched your DNA to an unsolved case. My unsolved case. It was your parents. They were murdered and the asshole used fire to cover it up." I sobbed. His eyes darted across the floor. I could see him trying to remember his past. Then he paused, as if something clicked. I can only assume it's the fact that he's realized that the person Marylynn said was looking into his parent's case is me, and that I've kept it from him this whole time.
"The doctors I spoke with said that it's possible that you will never remember, that the event was so traumatic, and you were only a child. I dug into it more. I was getting so close to finding their killer. Too close. He found me, he found you. And now he is after the only people who know who he is. But the thing is, I don't fucking KNOW!" I gripped the end of the chair in anger. I didn't have a name, just a face. But it's enough to spook the bastard.
"Shadow I'm so sorry. I was going to tell you once we caught him. Once we could get closure for you and your parents. I just didn't think it through." I placed my hands on him and he snatched them away.
"Y-you were investigating this and you d-didn't tell me?!" He yelled.
"I was trying to protect you!" I sobbed.
"You were only protecting yourself! Someone is trying to kill me!! And instead of warning me so I can protect myself, YOU LIED STRAIGHT TO MY FACE. This is my PARENTS we're talking about. Not just some Jane/John Doe. I can't believe you!!" He screamed.
"Shadow calm down.." Timothy said softly.
"NO. FUCK YOU. FUCK BOTH OF YOU! You know what, I can't be with someone who is willing to lie to me. To hold information from me when it comes to the most important people in my life... When this is over, we're over." Shadow spat and stormed out of the library. I started hyperventilating. My chest felt tight and no matter how many deep breaths I took, I couldn't get enough air in my lungs. We're over? What?! All I was trying to do is protect him!! I choked on my own saliva as sobs wreaked havoc on my body like a hurricane. I couldn't fucking breathe!!
"Ruvik!! We need help!!" Timothy yelled. Everything was getting blurry. The only thing I could think about is Shadow. Shadow's anger, the betrayal, played over and over in my head. I gasped for air, thinking that this was it. I don't deserve to live, I don't deserve Shadow. This is how it is supposed to be. And to think, if I would have succeeded in the past... This would never have happened.
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