The Russian Fighter (Mafia Men #1)

Letting Go The Past

Chapter 31

Edited

I stared at the tombstone with a heavy heart. I was at the cemetery of Forest Lawn Memorial Parks & Mortuaries in Hollywood Hills.

So many things whirled in my head. Time had seized down to this moment, and it was hard to embrace what lead to these events. What lead to the death of the person I loved the most in the world.

Lifting my face to the sky I envisioned what little memories I remembered. Memories of what we used to be. Memories of shared kisses, and time spent wondering what the future might hold. Memories of a life of bliss and laughter that was slowly taken from us.

Each scene was a commemoration in my timeline, like a tidal wave washing against the shore in suds, and then rushing down like a hammer of water to crush my heart.

The first time our eyes met.

The first time we touched.

The first time we told each other 'I love you'.

The sky above gave a roar. It was going to rain soon, and the atmosphere turned dark, wallowed in a mixture of vapor and sorrow. Dusty, gray clouds consumed the sun, bringing with it a rainstorm. My very own black sky that could cry with me.

I stared and stared, the black headstone engraved with the truth. With the life I once lived but now try to move on from. But I still felt dead inside.

The whole world seemed dead to me, really.

When the bullet tore flesh it hurt to not be aware mostly of what came next. The last I remembered was falling into the clutches of death. Then, nothing. The sudden lapse into obscurity felt right, peaceful, and I never wanted to go back to the horrible life my family and I were forced into, only for me to wake up and every lie to be real.

I had died.

I died for a few minutes before being brought back to life.

And let's just say life was never the same.

It's been six months since the tragedy of my death. But in that time I gained so much in return. I gained another family. Maksim and his brothers accepted me the first time I came to their doorstep with their parents, and it only took 'til now for me to understand that.

Things got easier after I healed. But there was still much more standing in front of the road. My new twin has been difficult to comprehend, and most times she asks for Angelo. Her alliegance was clearly to him, and I wanted the time we have together to help her understand he was a dangerous man. But Maksim told me he was dealt with. As was Erik.

I had wanted to be the one to kill him. To avenge my once beloved, Greg, but when faced with the task it was harder to do than to say. I didn't want to be a killer. I didn't want to stoop to his level, or become as dead as he had.

So, I forgave him. But I will never forget. Which lead me here to Gregory's tombstone.

"Do you need a moment?" Maksim asked me hovering behind at a good five feet as he'd done these past months, keeping his distance.

I shook my head, reaching out to the plaque for support in this troubling time of recovery. "No. I've been meaning for you two to meet. I don't want to hide him anymore."