Caught in The Mafia’s Web

Chapter six

Greg's POV

I could barely get the words out, my voice low and strained. I felt Aurora’s eyes on me, wide and watching, her curiosity mixed with something else I didn’t want to see—pity.

Damn it!

I clenched my fists. I never wanted to go back to that night, never wanted to remember Selene lying there, lifeless, all because of me. And yet, here I was, opening up to Aurora like some sick fool pouring out his heart.

I took a slow breath and began.

“They knew exactly what they were doing,” I started, my gaze somewhere far beyond the small space between us. “A deal went south with some… business partners, and instead of coming after me directly, they went for her. She was… Selene was just living her life, Aurora. Walking to her car after work. Had no idea what was coming.”

To my surprise, Aurora looked concerned, her voice softer than usual. “I… I had no idea. I didn’t know you…”

“Yeah, well, not many do. I don’t exactly go around talking about my losses,” I said, my voice sharp.

I saw her flinch, and a part of me wanted to back off. But I was already too far gone into this damn story. I was feeling too much, raw anger and grief pulling me under.

It suddenly felt like the wound was fresh, and I could see it playing out again, as if it had just happened yesterday. Selene didn’t scream, didn’t beg. She was always stubborn like that. But the fear in her eyes—the betrayal—hurt me deeply.

“They wanted to hurt me in the most painful way possible. They knew that taking her would break me in ways that bullets and blood couldn’t.”

I could feel the tension thickening in the room, weighing down on me like a heavy burden. My own words were starting to get to me.

Inferno!

I hated feeling this way. Hated the weakness. And I hated Aurora for looking at me like that—like I was broken.

For a few seconds, the only sound was my heavy breathing. I wanted to stop, to let the silence swallow up my words. But Aurora… she was sitting there, too close, her eyes soft and understanding. And that… that broke something in me.

In that moment, I slammed my fist on the table, the bang echoing through the room.

Aurora jumped, her eyes wide, startled, pity melting into something like fear. And I couldn’t stand it.

“Don’t you dare look at me like that,” I snapped.

Her voice was almost a whisper, her fingers inching away from me. “Like what?”

“Like you feel sorry for me. I don’t need your damn pity.”

She was quiet, but her gaze never wavered. “You think that’s what this is? Just pity?”

“I don’t know, Aurora. But whatever it is, it’s messing with my head.”

I couldn’t let her in. Couldn’t let her see the cracks in my armour, because if I did, she would know just how weak I really was underneath it all. And I couldn’t stand that.

Without waiting for her to respond, I grabbed her arm, roughly, probably too roughly, and started to pull her towards the door.

She struggled against my grip, but I ignored her. “What is wrong with you, Greg?! What the f**k are you doing?” she said, panic edging into her voice. “Let go of me!”

“Just get out. Go. I can’t deal with you right now.”

“What? Are you serious?” She dug her heels into the floor, trying to stop me. “So you’re just going to throw me out?”

“You don’t get it, do you?” I said, dragging her along despite her protests. “Talking to you… it’s dangerous. You stir up emotions I've kept buried for a long time.”

“Greg, please,” she begged, trying to pull her arm free. “You’re hurting me.”

I stopped, my grip loosening just a little bit, enough to meet her gaze. And there it was again—softness, concern, and… pity.

“No,” I muttered, shaking my head. “You don’t get to look at me like that, Aurora. Not after everything. Not after what happened to her.”

She was silent for a moment, her voice softer. “Greg, I’m sorry, but I didn’t mean to make you feel like this.”

“Sorry?” I scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. “Sorry doesn’t fix anything. It doesn’t bring Selene back, doesn’t erase the hell I’ve been through.”

“But I’m not the enemy here, Greg. You’re angry, but it’s not me you’re really angry at, or is it?”

Her words struck something raw in me.

She was right, but I wasn’t ready to admit it. I couldn’t. It was easier to push her away, to let the anger consume me. So, I kept dragging her until we reached the door.

I pulled it open and practically pushed her outside.

Maxen already stood in the hall, and he raised an eyebrow as he watched the scene unfold. I turned to him, voice sharp. “Take her. Get this… get this b***h out of my sight.”

Aurora’s face flashed with hurt, but she didn’t back down. Instead, she looked at me with that steady gaze, a fire sparking in her eyes. “You know what, Greg? I’m not going anywhere until you apologize.”

I stared at her, caught off guard. “What?”

She lifted her chin, defiant. “You heard me. Apologize. You can’t just throw me around and expect me to take it.”

A slow, bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Apologize? To you? For what?”

“For treating me like garbage,” she shot back, anger flashing in her eyes. “I didn’t make you relive this. You chose to tell me. I didn’t ask to hear about your past, Greg.”

I clenched my jaw, feeling extremely angry and battling with something else.

I looked at Maxen, searching for an escape, for anything to end this moment. “Maxen, please, don't just stand there… take her away.”

Maxen hesitated, glancing at Aurora, who stood there, daring. She wasn’t budging, her gaze locked on mine, challenging, almost daring me to admit something I didn’t even want to acknowledge.

And then she said it again, louder this time, and with that same level of seriousness. “Apologize, you f*****g asshole.”