Chapter 94

NINETY-FOUR

AMETHYST

My heart pounds as Xero pulls into the Newton Crematorium parking lot. At this time of the afternoon, the sun is at its strongest, drenching the brick building in light. He exits, walks around the hood, and opens my door.

Stepping out of the car, I crane my neck to take in its twin chimneys. “I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve walked past this place on the way to the supermarket.”

Xero wraps an arm around my shoulders. “I hate to be on team Melonie, but she had a good reason for keeping you away from your father’s side of your family.”

A shudder runs down my spine at the reminder of my paternal grandmother, who forced Mom to work as some kind of escort. “She never had a moment of happiness, did she?”

Xero sighs. “Do you remember writing to me about unreliable narrators?”

I turn my gaze away from the crematorium to meet his eyes. His hair is dark blond today, with bronze skin that makes him look more like Vinzent from the vineyard. “You think she exaggerated?”

“People lie to themselves all the time, even in their own diaries. There was no mention of her affair with Dr. Forster until she was facing its consequences.”

“No one deserved that kind of punishment.”

“Agreed.” He gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Ready to go in?”

Nodding, I inhale a deep, shaky breath.

We step through a set of double doors, greeted by the mingled scents of disinfectant and lilies. The receptionist is an elderly woman with pencil-thin eyebrows and a tight gray bun. Her spectacles hang low on the bridge of her nose, held in place by a delicate metal chain draped around her neck.

She scrambles to her feet, her eyes widening. “Amy?”

Gulping, I study her features, wondering if she’s Mother Salentino. “Yes?”

“Oh, my dear.” She rounds the desk, her eyes welling with tears. “You look so much like Melonie.”

My throat thickens, and an ache spreads down to my chest. I swallow hard and lean into Xero’s side. “You knew her?”

“She used to drop off items for the twins?—”

“Thank you, Angela,” says a sharp voice.

The woman stepping out of a door behind the reception desk is tall, with long dark hair cascading down her shoulders in gentle waves. She’s in her mid-thirties, wearing a full face of dramatic makeup to enhance her stern features. Her gaze sweeps over Xero before settling on my face.

“Amethyst,” she says, her voice softening. “Come in and meet your aunt.”

I glance at Xero, wondering if this is one of the Salentino twins. As if sensing my silent question, he nods. The woman disappears behind the door, letting it swing shut.

Gulping, I round the desk with Xero, wondering if turning down their invitation for dinner was a mistake. I thought meeting my paternal aunts at their place of business would be far less intimidating than entering their mansion near the top of Alderney Hill.

There’s an entire mafia militia at its summit, protecting the Montesano and Salentino families. According to the diary, they brought me to their mansion after rescuing me from the asylum.

Besides, I’m mostly here for closure. Mom’s body has been resting here since the day of her murder. She and Dolly need a funeral. I want to close that chapter in my life and move forward.

I step into an elegant office of black furniture, overlooking the cemetery gardens. The woman from earlier stands by the windows, while another rises from behind the twin desks. She’s almost as tall as the first one, with short hair, but dressed in a man’s tailored suit.

My gaze darts back to the other, who shares the exact features. I’ve never seen identical twins looking so alike yet so distinct.

The short-haired twin walks around the desk, her eyes lighting up, and scoops me into a tight hug. “It’s so good to finally meet you in person. You look just like Melonie did at that age.”

“Hi.” I relax into her embrace, trying not to cringe at the implication that she’s seen my viral videos.

She draws back, places both hands on my shoulders and drinks me in. “Are you okay? We were both so worried when Xero told us you were taken. I’m Aria.”

I gulp. “Pleased to meet you, and I’m fine.”

Aria flicks her head toward the femme fatale standing by the window. “That’s Elania. We’re twins, but not identical.”

“Oh.”

I glance back at Elania, who rolls her eyes, confirming that Aria is bullshitting. The only differences between the two women are their hairstyles, shoes, and make up.

“If there’s anyone showing you disrespect, you let us know,” Aria says. “Your aunties will take care of the assholes and leave no traces.”

“Thanks,” I say with a nervous laugh.

Elania steps forward. “We’d like to apologize for keeping our distance. Your mother wanted to protect you from our line of business.”

“Now that you’re old enough to take care of yourself, you’re more than welcome to join the fold,” Aria says with an earnest nod.

I rub the back of my neck and try not to squirm at the prospect of working for the mafia. “Actually, I prefer to write.”

“Leave the girl alone.” Elania offers me a manicured hand and a warm smile. “It’s good to finally meet you, although we hoped to have more involvement in your rescue.”

She shoots Xero a filthy glance, which only makes him grin. Aria claps him hard on the shoulder. It’s a gesture that would knock most people forward, but Xero just stares at her with raised brows.

“Elania’s going to take Amy to the chapel, so she can say her goodbyes,” Aria says. “Take a seat. Tell me if there’s anyone we need to kill.”

“I’m staying with Amethyst,” Xero says.

“It’s okay,” I reply. “I need to face them alone.”

He gazes down at me, his brow furrowed, and I respond with a reassuring nod. Cupping my cheek, he leans down and gives me a soft peck on the lips. “I’ll be here if you need me.”

Nodding, I leave with Elania, who guides me through the crematorium’s stark hallway. The click-clack of her heels on the marble floor reminds me a little of Dolly. The walls, devoid of decorations, save for the occasional cross, echo her steps.

As we round a corner, two large men in body armor step into our path. Elania simply lifts a finger, and they straighten before stepping aside to let us pass.

“Don’t worry about Xero,” she murmurs, her voice low. “He’s perfectly safe with my sister.”

My lips twitch. “Shouldn’t you be worried about Aria?”

“We did our research. Contrary to what the media says, Xero Greaves isn’t a deranged psychopath. At least not compared to some assholes we know.”

I bite down on my bottom lip. “Like my father?”

She snorts. “Compared to Giorgi, Xero is a saint.”

As we stop at a wooden door, a lump forms in my throat at the reminder of what I read in Mom’s diary about being held captive by my biological father. The Salentino twins would have been about ten at the time she ran away with us and just turned twenty when she returned for help.

A shudder runs down my spine at the thought of having inherited his psychopathic traits.

Elania pushes the door open, letting out a gust of cold air laden with the heavy scent of lilies. The lights are dim, and the decor is mahogany with muted shades of gray that do little to dull the pain throbbing in my chest at the sight of the twin caskets.

“Take as much time as you need.” She squeezes my arm.

“Thanks,” I rasp, still hovering in the doorway.

It takes several moments of soaking in the atmosphere before my body will allow itself to move. My aunt stands in the hallway, offering me silent support.

After what feels like an eternity, I step forward on trembling legs, not knowing what I’ll find. The last I saw of Mom, her neck had been slashed open. She’d died with her eyes wide with terror. Dolly’s violent death hadn’t been much different. When I stabbed her through the chest, her features were frozen in shock.

But when I reach their caskets, it’s nothing like I dreaded. Mom looks softer than I remember, without the perpetual pinched annoyance. Dolly looks like a wax figure, made up to resemble a sleeping angel.

I pause, waiting for an outpouring of grief or fury or even numbness, but all I feel is relief. The weight of their animosity lifts off my shoulders, making me stand taller.

Taking in a deep breath, I step back to address them both. “I understand why you did what you did,” I say, my voice wavering. “Not that I agree with the way you made me a scapegoat, but I’m moving on.”

I pause, giving them a moment to absorb my words. It’s futile, since they’re dead, but I still can’t deny the primal part of my psyche that was forced to believe in ghosts.

“You two made my life hell, but you also led me to my soulmate. I guess that makes us even.”

There’s so much more I could say, but they were really just pawns. The key players are still awaiting us in Xero’s interrogation rooms. Besides, I don’t want to waste any more time on two people who treated me as if I were a problem that needed to be eliminated.

“Safe journey to the other side, and I hope you both rest in peace.”

I walk out of the room, the marble floor echoing my footsteps. Elania rises from a bench in the hallway, her features flickering with surprise.

“Finished already?” she asks.

I nod. “Is there a place I can store their ashes?”

“Of course.” Her brow furrows. “You don’t want to keep them?”

“I want to start afresh. That includes giving back the house on Alderney Hill,” I say.

Her brows pinch. “But you’re my brother’s only child. This is your inheritance.”

She walks me back to Xero, explaining that my birth father was the only sibling in the family with a surviving child. Neither Salentino sister wants to get married, so if I don’t take over the house and businesses, then their assets will revert to their cousin, Cesare Montesano—Myra’s former boss, and the younger brother of Xero’s fellow cellmate on death row.

This time, when she invites me over for dinner, I don’t refuse.

It’s strange to have family members who don’t want me disconnected or dead.

Xero waits for me at the reception with Aria, who gives me another hug goodbye. She’s the warmer of the pair, despite her tough exterior.

“Ready to go?” he asks with a soft smile that makes my heart melt.

“Yes,” I reply and take his hand.

As we exit the crematorium, Xero leads me to his car and opens the passenger side door. My phone rings, and we lock gazes.

“Hello?” I ask.

“It’s me,” Myra says. “Do I have your permission to publish the Rapunzelita trilogy?”

I frown. “Yes. Why?”

“Your death drove a lot of traffic to my videos. Publishers are clamoring for your unfinished manuscripts.”

My heart skips several beats. “Okay,” I reply, my voice breathy. “I want to tweak the sequels, but the first book is ready to go.”

“What about the erotic ghost story?” Myra asks.

Xero steps closer, his hand resting on my lower back, his fingers grazing the base of my spine. His breath warms my ear, making me shiver.

“Give us a few more weeks to fine-tune the spicy scenes,” he murmurs.

Myra squeals, promising to negotiate a hefty advance before she hangs up. As I slip my phone into my pocket, I turn back to Xero.

His gaze locks onto mine, filled with an intensity that makes my knees weak. He pulls me close so we’re standing chest to chest, his mouth brushing against mine in a slow, deliberate kiss.

His lips are warm and insistent, infusing me with delicious heat. “Congratulations,” he says, his voice breathy with pride. “I always believed in your talent. And in Rapunzelita.”

The kiss deepens, his tongue teasing mine, and I lose myself in the sensation. Every touch, every caress ignites a fire within me that goes straight to my core.

“Let’s celebrate,” he murmurs against my lips.

“How?”

“The Spring brothers just transferred Dr. Forster to a holding cell. We can give him a painful welcome before dealing with my father and Charlotte.”

My lips curve into a smile. By the time I’ve finished with Charlotte, she’ll be the one seeing dead people. I plan on sticking Delta’s worthless dick up his ass and making him swallow his own balls. Dr. Forster will experience every unnecessary medical procedure he subjected me to while I was at the asylum. When his mind shatters and he no longer remembers his name, I’ll hunt him through the catacombs and drown him in a puddle.

Rocking forward on my tiptoes, I give Xero a peck on the lips. “Sounds like a plan.”

He pulls me into a tight hug, filling my nostrils with his signature scent. Citrus, spearmint, and cedar wood blend together in an intoxicating mix that has me melting against his strong chest.

“I love you so much,” I murmur.

“And I love you too, little ghost,” he replies, his fingers teasing my curls.

My chest releases a happy sigh. If someone had told me the man behind the mugshot would be my happily ever after, I would have scoffed. And if they said I’d fall for the grim reaper chasing me through the graveyard, I’d have thought they were crazy.

I relax against Xero’s larger body, luxuriating in this new sense of connection and belonging. He isn’t just a lover or a savior, but the other half of my soul.

For the first time in my adult life, I see clearly, and I’ve finally found my place in the world.