Beautiful Trouble: A Dark Mafia Romance

“We’ll fix this,” she whispered. “I promise. We will.”

“I hope so.” I squeezed her hands then turned and walked back to my husband and his brother.

Anthony looked like he wanted to run.

Darren approached the table. He didn’t sit.

Roman stood at the other side. Only three feet of cheap wood and years and years of animosity, anger, bloodshed, attempted murder, and dark family ties separated them.

Nobody spoke. The tension was thick. Cassie looked like she wanted to dig a hole, but she hung on Roman’s arm resolutely. His assistant, Roza, kept her chin up, but even she seemed uncomfortable.

Anthony wouldn’t approach the table. He lingered a few feet away. Roman kept looking back at him.

“I’m glad you came,” I said finally, breaking the silence. “I wasn’t sure you would.”

“I can’t resist a good meeting,” Roman said, but didn’t smile at his own joke. He glanced at Darren. “Are you here in good faith or is this another one of your bullshit games?”

Darren showed his teeth. “Questioning my honor isn’t the best way to start a meeting.”

“And yet here I am, doing just that.”

Darren leaned forward, palms flat on the table. “I don’t have to justify myself to a man that tries to murder children.”

Roman’s lips pulled back in a grimace. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“And yet you haven’t tried to offer an explanation. What happened that night, Roman? Did you finally realize that your fucked-up daddy didn’t really love you? Afraid he’d leave everything to my brother instead?”

“My father was a monster, but he wasn’t stupid. And neither am I.”

“And yet you tried to murder a little kid. Why’d you do it? I’ve been begging for a reason for years and you’ve given me nothing but silence. If you want to end this, that’s what I need.”

Roman didn’t move. He stood very still, watching Darren closely. Cassie seemed uncomfortable and confused, and I wondered how much she knew about this story. Probably nothing—I doubted Roman would tell her about trying to murder a little kid.

“This has always been your problem, Darren. Even back when we were friends. You’re so single-minded that you can’t imagine the world works any different from how you think it does.”

“More bullshit excuses.” Darren straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest. “Even after all this time, you have nothing.”

“Is that why you came? To dredge up the past? You won’t get what you want and we both know it.”

“Despite what you think about me, I’m here in good faith. If you want to end the war, you’ll need to make sacrifices. But first, tell me why you shot my brother in the chest.”

Roman’s nostrils flared. Anger passed across his face and he stared death at Anthony. I could almost see it—Roman standing over a dying little boy with a gun in his hand and that look on his face.

But none of it made any sense. Why would Roman try to murder a kid—his half-brother at that? And why would he refuse to give a reason?

Darren was too lost in anger to see that something wasn’t adding up.

“I don’t owe you a goddamn thing,” Roman said. “I’m willing to negotiate, but I won’t give you that.”

“You fucking bastard. After all this time, you’re still an egomaniac. You’re a fucking danger to this world.”

Darren reached behind him and pulled a gun out from beneath his jacket.

Time stood still. Darren raised the weapon, his eyes wide, his nostrils flared. He breathed like a dog panting in the heat.

Roza moved first. She drew a gun and aimed it calmly at Darren’s face. Roman shifted slightly to make sure he was in front of Cassie.

Still protecting her, even now. I knew their love was real, and that was more proof.

Darren’s hand didn’t shake. He aimed the gun at Roman’s face. At this distance, he wouldn’t miss.

And if he pulled that trigger, the world would end.

Roza would kill him. Cassie would lose her man and I’d lose mine. It was strange to think of Darren like that—but it was the truth.

I didn’t want him to die.

He was my captor and tormentor. He was also my husband and the first person to get beneath my skin.

All of that was now balanced on his trigger finger.

“That’s how it’ll be then?” Roman asked softly. “We both go down together? It’s almost fitting, you know.”

“Darren,” I said but was too afraid to reach for him. “Please, don’t.”

“I’ll give up my life in exchange for yours,” Darren said and his voice was eerily calm, like he’d made up his mind. I wanted to scream, wanted to cry, but we were all poised on the edge of a drop and a single movement could push us either way. “That way the rest of my family won’t have to worry anymore.”