One hundred and forty-six

Talia's POV:

Nausea, sharp and strong, rose in my throat. Despite everything I've been through, it still horrified me to know that there were such monsters out there. Monsters far worse than the man I've fallen in love with.

No wonder Louis saw the world in shades of black; her life had been overtaken by darkness. "When I heard the full story, I took Louis and her daughter with me," Nicholas continued in a low, hard voice. "It still wasn't any of my business, but I couldn't let this type of thing slide—at least not after seeing that child's body. We buried the baby in a cemetery just outside the vicinity. Then I took a couple of my men, and Louis and I came back to look for the pimp." A small, vicious smile appeared on his lips as he said softly, "Louis killed him personally. He and his two thugs—the ones who helped murder her child."

I inhaled slowly, not wanting to start crying again. "And she came to work for you after that? After you helped her like that?"