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She was so innocent. Again, I felt terrible that I had brought her into such a mess. But I was working hard to untangle us from it.
I wanted to share my plans with her, but I doubted she would have cared. I could fall off the face of the earth, and she would probably rejoice in her freedom.
Slowly, I had started putting things into place. I had already created new identities for us. I just needed to figure out basic things like where we would live. My connections were vast, and because of that, so was my influence.
Unfortunately, that meant that completely disappearing would be difficult. I liked to say just because something was difficult didn’t make it impossible. I was living proof of that.
My difficult childhood should have been impossible to get through, but I found a way to survive. I had accepted that challenge, and I’d won.
As far as I was concerned. I would win again.
All the pieces were falling into place. I just needed to wait until everything was ready before I revealed my plans toMya. She liked to have all the answers. She wanted to know everything.
That’s the kind of person she was. So, I would wait until I had all the answers and everything in place.
I hoped that a new start would mean a new chance to show her that I did care for her, that I was worthy of her love. I wanted her to want me like I wanted her.
Right now, she wanted her “freedom”. She didn’t want me. It didn’t matter. I knew I was doing what was best.
Lots of people had questioned my motives over the years. Many people had doubted me, but I’d proved them all wrong. There were things I was capable of that many men hated me for, but it’s what made me successful in the long run.
I did the hard things. I didn’t expect to be rewarded for them.
“Jason had been laundering money from Matteo’s operation for a while. It was stupid. And once Matteo found out, well things got ugly, and Nico got involved. You know the rest from there.”
She was silent for a long time. Her eyes stared at nothing, as if she was busy recalling the past.
Then she shook her head, as if trying to let go of the hold the moment had on her and said, “I just…I can’t believe that. Jason was honest. He was kind. He wouldn’t ever—,” she shook her head again, “You must be lying.”
“Why would I lie?”
“Why would you tell the truth?”
“Because I have nothing to lose.”
“You know what, Dario, it doesn’t matter. I thought we were beyond this, but it’s like we’re going in circles.”
She stood up to leave, and I grabbed her arm. “Instead of marching off half-cocked, I wish you would listen for a change.”
“Listen to what?” she spat out. “More lies? More deception? I can’t trust you. I’m not sure why I ever thought I could?—”
“Mya, I’ve been trying to protect you from Jason’s mistakes?—”
“Why is every word out of your mouth about Jason a lie? Are you that intimidated by a dead man? You spread lies about him because you wish you could be half the man he was.”
Now I was angry. I kept my voice steady and swallowed back the words that were on the tip of my tongue. I would be patient with her because she hadn’t a clue what she was talking about.
“Half the man he was?” I shook my head. I was so angry I couldn’t say anything else. The insult hit me hard. After everything I’d done and everything I planned to do to secure our future together, this was how she thought of me?
“What part of what I just told you sounds like a lie? Jason was an inside man. He had connections and the know-how. So, we paid him accordingly.”
“We?” she took a step back away from me. “What do you mean we?”
Shit. I messed up.
“I thought you said you didn’t even know Jason.”
“I didn’t, but I knew of him. I knew the type of work he was doing for my brother until he messed up, and Nico stepped in to make sure Jason never messed up again.”