He was beyond stunning… Darius was absolutely mouthwatering in his tux which fit him to perfection. She couldn’t take her eyes off the man as he stopped and chatted with various people at the fundraiser. As she gazed at him, Alannah knew she was in love… hopelessly, infectiously in love with him. She could tell Darius was starting to feel the same way about her.          Alannah didn’t know how it had happened, but she’d been living with him for about a month, ever since that first night in his home. He’d changed. He hadn’t brought up his vendetta against the Jacksons. Alannah found the man she’d met who’d been seeking revenge, and the man making love to her every night were two completely different people.           For the past month, Darius had put Alannah to wo

“I poured my soul to him and he just… left. He abandoned me after I told him I loved him…” Alannah said, her voice quiet, her body almost numb. “After everything that happened to me, I thought loving Darius was a gift, the most beautiful experience of my life. Why does it hurt so bad? Why I can’t shake this sadness away? Why do people choose to do this over and over again? I don’t understand how they can bare it…”          She hadn’t seen Darius in two weeks. The first week she’d cried so much she thought she might die of a broken heart. Her face was all puffy and her eyes were red. Finally, the tears had stopped and a deep sense of numbness had set in, thankfully. She didn’t smile, didn’t cry, she just sort of existed.“Oh, sweetie… I promise it will get better, Lanah… I know this answer sucks, but just give it some time. H

“I’m sorry, Mom, but you let me down. You lied to me my entire life, preventing me from having a family who loves me, and you almost cost me everything. You did cost me years… many years of happiness. You used your hands as punishment, you cut me down, and still, I loved you. I tried my best to honor you. What I’ve come to realize in the last three months, is that you didn’t deserve my honor or respect. I won’t come back here again. What you did to me was unforgivable. I hope you’ve found happiness wherever you are… I truly do, but I’m done with your burdens.”          Darius stood over Charlotte King’s grave, a solitary flower in his hand. He’d come to say goodbye. For the last three months, he’d slowly gotten to know the men he’d vowed to harm, the cousins he’d thought were so evil.        &