A Sense of Guilt

By Maia Dylan

Guilt—the gift that keeps on giving. Gino Esposito lived with a lot of guilt from his childhood. His father was very clear. Gino was responsible for all the beatings he’d taken, all the abuse, and ultimately the reason why his mother was murdered by his father. And it was the guilt from not being able to protect Rosa Hernandez, the woman he knew to be the one for him, that had Gino believing he could never be worthy of her.

Rosa knew a lot about guilt herself. Hell, she was the reason why Gino was captured and tortured by the Battaglia family in the first place. She might have had a small role to play in ensuring he survived that night of horror, but she also knew Gino’s survival was worth risking everything.

When a threat against Rosa from her own family comes to light, it becomes very clear that her newfound freedom might very well be short-lived. Can Gino overcome his sense of guilt to take his place at Rosa’s side and protect her, or will he succumb to that guilt and lose the best chance he had at a future?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight Publishing
• Release date: Apr 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9781773399393

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EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2019 Maia Dylan

ISBN: 978-1-77339-939-3

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Editor: Audrey Bobak

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

On March 15, 2019, my country changed forever.

For Christchurch.

#kiakahachristchurch

A SENSE OF GUILT

Carlisi Familia, 3

Author Name

Copyright © 2019

Chapter One

Gino came awake with a start. His heart pounding, sweat pouring from his body, and an urgent sense that something bad was about to happen. He took a few swift deep breaths, desperately trying to gain control of his panic, his gaze darting around his hospital room, looking for the danger that felt heavy in the surrounding air. The light from the glass windows over his door cast the room with enough of a glow to prove that whatever the danger was that he felt, it wasn’t in the room. The clock on the bedside table told him it was close to three-thirty in the morning.

With a groan he couldn’t hold back, he pushed to sit up and swing his legs over the side of the bed. His ribs, his arms, his face, everything throbbed with pain as he moved. Hell, his left hand felt like it was on fire, and the missing finger burned like fuck. He’d had no idea something like that was even possible, that something that wasn’t even there could hurt like hell, but his doctors explained they were phantom pains and had warned they would come. It felt all too real at that moment.

Gritting his teeth, he removed the drip from the port on the back of his hand and stood up, fighting nausea and a wave of dizziness. He waited for it to ebb before he stepped toward the door. Each step hurt, but he had to move to the door. He had to see what it was that had every survival instinct he possessed screaming within him, and he cursed the fact no one had left him with a damn weapon.

As quietly as he could, he opened the door slightly, blinking his eyes to get used to the bright warm light that lit the corridor. He could see one of their young enforcers, a man named Nico, sitting in a chair down the hall from his room. He was slumped in the chair and fighting sleep, but still awake.

Taking a quick look back down the other way and seeing it clear, he stepped out into the hallway. Nico caught the movement and spun in his direction. When he saw Gino walk out, or more accurately, shuffle out, slightly bent over, his eyes widened in shock and he jumped up.

Damn, Gino, Nico said as he hurried in his direction. I don’t think you should be walking around, man. Or even standing. Nico reached him and gripped his arms, helping him to stand upright. Gavriil is down in the doctor’s lounge with Abby sleeping. I’ll go get him.

The last thing Gino needed was for Gavriil to walk into whatever the hell it was his instincts were telling him was coming. No, leave them there. Gino’s voice was harsh, but there was an urgency in his tone. Does he have a guard? Who else is here?

Nico went on alert, his gaze sweeping the hall. Leona is down the hall to the left, and Tony’s with her. He’s armed to the teeth, and Finn is outside their door. The woman that was found with you, she’s across the hall here.

The hair on the back of Gino’s neck rose at the mention of that woman. She still in there?

She hasn’t left the room and I’ve been in this hall all night. Nico suddenly frowned and his gaze slid to the side. Except…

Tell me.

Nico grimaced. There was this nurse, and I talked to her for about fifteen minutes down at the nurses’ station. Nico pointed to the reception area behind him, not far from where they stood. She’s gorgeous, and I got her number. But I swear to you, Gino, I never left the hall.

Cursing, Gino stepped away from the younger man and pushed the door open, knowing