After Dark (Mature) *Completed*

Twenty Six

"Alright the guards have your I.D so you can come freely. Remember this is a safe space, okay?" Angelo squeezed her closer as he continued to go over his list of concerns. It was time for him and Vinni to go back to Italy to handle their "business" and she knew better than to question it.

"I will. Now go, we've been sitting here for the last 30 minutes." She rolled her eyes and stepped from his embrace.

"Just a little while longer." He pouted as he pulled her back into his chest while snuggling his head into her neck. Serenity let out a laugh at his antics. Although they weren't technically together, she knew better than to think otherwise.

"Angelo." She called in warning. A groan erupted from his form before he pulled away to look into her eyes. The intensity behind his gaze was almost suffocating and she wanted to look away from its rawness.

"Next time I see you, I'm gonna make you my wife." The sentence hadn't even registered in her mind before he placed his lips to hers. Sparks shot down her to her feet and she felt weightless- contentment filling her from head to toe.
...

"Serenity, can you report to my office?" Mr. Gandy's voice was soft and filled with apprehension- the sound making her heart race.

This was it. It had been nearly a month since Angelo and Vinni left, their instructions for her to simply wait eating away at her consciousness.

Stepping into the office, she took a deep breath and sat in the arm chair in front of the large mahogany desk. Mr. Gandy surprised her by sitting in the chair next to her. His large, calloused hands grasping her own.

"Is everything okay?" She questioned. At this point she was sure everyone in the building could hear the rapid beating of her heart. He took a deep breath, his face contorting in discomfort.

"Serenity. We found Lucas' body last week. He was struck by an 18 wheeler on the Ford Heights bridge. A local fisherman saw his car submerge in the river below. I'm so sorry." It felt as if this was the first time she'd known of his death. The words of Mr. Gandy making the last month a reality. Lucas was truly dead.

Sorrow hit her deep within her diaphragm and her chest constricted. Numbness fell over her limbs yet her body heated incredibly fast- her face felt as if it was on fire. Tears flew down her cheeks, each one racing the others to get to her chin, before they dripped down on to her hands.

"Would you like a minute?" Discomfort laced his tone and she quickly shook her head- his body equally as quick in leaving the room. As the click of the door filled the empty room, she let out the screams bubbling up in her stomach.

Dropping to her knees on the floor, her body folded in on itself, her hands crossed on her chest. Lucas was really gone. A man who did nothing but serve his community. A man who strived everyday to make a difference in the lives of others. A simple man who did his best to keep her happy. Lucas was a man of integrity. He followed the rules, he remained fair, he even went above and beyond his job description.

Although her heart belonged to Angelo, she couldn't deny the fact that Lucas was as good as it gets. A man who always made sure she smiled once a day. A man who had put his everything into a woman in love with his killer. Her sobs returned at this fact.

She'd betrayed Lucas.

"Hey, come here." The voice of Tate entered the room before she was encased in a warm embrace. She sobbed loudly into his chest, her body shaking, hands gripping the pressed fabric of his button up. Choking on the air entering her lungs manifested physical pain to pair with her emotional.

"Let it out. Let it all out, baby." He whispered into her ear. He rocked them from side to side- the sway soothing to her.
...

Angelo's POV

"Fratello, she's been informed." Vinni spoke as he looked down at his IPad. The pair sat in their home office, it's dark ambience adding on to the weight of the statement.

Although it hadn't affected him to feel the life leave Lucas' body, hearing Serenity's wails of pain was a nightmare he never wanted to relive. It had been the first time he'd ever regretted a kill. The way she looked at him after was something he never wanted to experience again.

"Any word from our informant?" He questioned his brother. They had set up a fake accident to cover up the broken neck while the water would erode the body and erase any traces of foul play.

Vinni looked hesitant as he looked down at the device. Angelo knew that couldn't mean anything good and his heart rate doubled. Serenity was something special. He'd never felt this way about anyone else. There was something so tantalizing, addicting, and euphoric about being with her. He could easily picture himself spending the rest of his life with her- a thought that had been scary at first- but one he now relished in.

"What is it?" Angelo questioned at the look on his brother's face.

"See for yourself." He slid the iPad across the desk top, the image of a wooden door greeting Angelo's eyes. Pressing play, the video began with someone walking down a hall, the camera obviously hidden. As he continued down the hall a number of other shoes could now be seen gathered further down the hall.

A sound, other than footsteps, pierced the speaker. Nerves bunched in Angelo's stomach as the sound got louder. It's shrill tone one that he would never forget the sound of. The man stopped near the other feet, the sound now clear- Serenity's wails pierced the large wooden door. Nausea washed over Angelo and he felt his stomach lurch. Flashes of her pain ridden face, with hot tears streaming down her cheeks, played behind his eyelids.

He quickly threw the device at the wall to keep the heart wrenching sounds from continuing to haunt him. The room was now silent but her cries echoed within his mind and drove him crazy. Before he knew it, he began throwing anything he could get his hands on- his own tears burning their way towards his heart.

He was the cause of her pain.
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