They Protected My Murderer, So I Walked Away from Them All Chapter 04

They Protected My Murderer, So I Walked Away from Them All Chapter 04

I tried to force a laugh, but the muscles in my face wouldn’t cooperate.

Damian reached out, his thumb dragging across my cheekbone.

“Stop making a scene, Aurora. Just… let it go. Pretend you never heard any of this.”

I stared through him.

“We’re done, Damian.”

His face went completely pale.

He choked on air, a dry, rattling gasp that died in his throat.

“No. We’re not doing this. I’m not letting you walk.”

My voice stayed level, cold and detached.

“You keep me, then what happens to Bianca?”

Seconds ticked by before he shut his eyes and ground out the words.

“I’ll pack her off. She leaves the States tonight.”

A smothered gasp broke from behind him.

Bianca clamped a hand over her mouth, tears flooding her eyes.

Damian’s grip tightened, his body leaning toward her before he caught himself.

He glanced back at me, swallowed, and forced his feet to stay rooted to the stone.

Valerie stepped between them, glaring at me with open disgust.

“Are you happy now, Aurora? Backing him into a corner just to show her who’s boss?”

Nico jumped in, his voice cutting and vicious.

“All she wanted was to stay by his side. She never asked to take your place. Can’t your ego stand having her around?”

Behind them, my parents stood like a stone wall, arms folded, shielding the driver who put their own daughter on life support.

“Nobody is shipping Bianca anywhere while I’m breathing,” Dad said, his voice flat with lethal authority.

“Not even you, Russo.”

They rallied around her, a fortress of Gambinos protecting an outsider.

Beside me, Damian looked cornered, stranded on my side of the line.

A grim smile touched my lips.

“Aren’t you going to join them, Damian?”

His breathing went shallow. His eyes flicked to Bianca, then dropped to the dirt.

He gave a slow, strained shake of his head.

Bianca stared at him, hollowed out.

“You’re kicking me out? After everything, Damian?”

Damian didn’t look up. “You said you wanted Florence anyway.”

Bianca’s face drained of color. My father took a step forward, his jaw tight.

“Don’t push it, Russo. Cross this line, and you’ll have this entire family against you.”

I looked at the man who gave me his DNA and name.

Don Gambino, threatening a syndicate war over the hit-and-run driver who killed his grandchild.

Damian turned away, his voice tight. “My decision is made.”

Nico glared at me with pure poison. “This is on you.”

Bianca dragged a sleeve across her face, letting out a wild, breathless laugh.

“Fine. If you’re sending me away, I’ll decide what to do about this expecting myself today”

She turned and sprinted down the stone steps.

My parents, Nico, and Valerie froze for a moment before rushing after her.

Beside me, Damian turned to stone.

“She’s expecting,” he whispered. “She’s carrying my kid.”

A dazed, creeping thrill broke through his shock.

I recognized that look instantly. He had worn that exact face three years ago, holding the printout of our first sonogram.

“Damian,” I said.

That single syllable snapped whatever leash I had left on him.

He took off down the stone stairs, his shoulder slamming into mine hard enough to knock me off balance.

I hit the gravel, my bad knee buckling painfully beneath me.

Damian skidded to a halt ten paces down, glancing back over his shoulder.

I pushed myself upright, hands locked over my throbbing knee, and met his gaze without a trace of emotion.

“Go.”

The tension in his fingers uncoiled, breaking the last tether between us.

“Wait for me, Aurora. I’ll get this handled and come right back up for you.”

His footsteps faded down the mountain, leaving only the wind against the chapel walls.

I stood there alone until dusk turned to black.

The burner in my pocket vibrated against my hip.

“Transport is lined up and the clean paper is ready,” the voice said, flat and quiet.

“How do you want to play the ending?”

“Stage it as a wreck,” I said. “Make it final.”

“Copy that. Consider Aurora Gambino gone.”

By midnight, the hospital drama had settled.

In the silence of his car, Damian finally remembered Aurora.

He pulled out his phone.

Before he could hit call, an unfamiliar number flashed across the screen.

“This is Trooper Miller with the State Police. Am I speaking with Damian Russo?”

“Speaking.”

“Sir, you’re listed as the emergency contact for Aurora Gambino. There’s been a serious incident on North Hill Road involving a car registered in her name.”

“We need an immediate next of kin at the scene, right away.”