Roses never fade

nce fell ov

ds standing by th

d, my voice shaking

knees!" h

, don't be so harsh. Maybe she just needs a drink t

oward a bottle of whi

h the cruelty of a predator toying with its p

at the am

a drop of alcoh

ows in booze. Alcohol turned him into a m

ad to be the sober one,

," I cho

u disrespected the Family, Elena. Drink,

been bluffing.

er read the man

table, my legs f

d for th

he room service tray next to it, pa

tilted my head back, dumped a handful of the yellow

tic; it would force me to throw up everything

started

d down my throat

gl

glas

giddy as a child watchi

re

gan to tilt

o

ting back the

i

amed down

from th

m D

lank mask, but his hands gripped his kn

i

reatening to rush up a

ve

ped from my hand and hit the floor,

His voice was hoarse

y and grabbed my wr

nked my arm ou

ed my veins with

s she worth it? Does she know how to hold you when the nightmares tear y

're drunk," he warned, a d

ords heavy with bitterness and whisk

stumbled to

" he ca

the hallway before my

owder kicked

o the floor, he

ges of my vision, the worl

trong arms scoop m

ll his composure completely sh

ll voice rang out from the

up,

holding me ti

y face into

ed like

st his shirt, losing conscious

in a hos

l of antisepti

chair beside me, his fa

ed like

e," he said,

I asked. "Wher

quietly. "Elena... why did you dr

ade me

o..." His voice trailed off,

out to gr

er the sheets,

Dante," I said. "The maid

as if I ha

ll yourse

to remai

ith him. I was leaving soon-

beast. "I'm doing this for the Fami

stared at me with a

ct or no contract, wife or no wife, you

d strode out

the heavy doo

ed the IV ou

crisp white sheets, lea

days