Page 7 of Crimson Vows

“I understand.”

“Now...” Vincent continues, leaving our initial conversation behind. “There was another matter I wanted to discuss with you. I decided at the last minute to take Eva to Italy for a little getaway. I think she and I need some time to focus on us.”

I nod, surprised Vincent would consider leaving when the threat from other families is so high. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I ask, “How long will you be gone?”

“I don’t feel comfortable being gone super long with things still pretty tense around here. We were planning to keep it to ten days,” Vincent explains, his gaze softening slightly. “And I want you to know I’m relying on you to handle the operations and the decisions while I’m gone.”

“I won’t let you down,” I say, the words scraping against my throat. “When do you leave?”

“We leave Sunday.”

“As in four days from now? So soon?”

He nods. “Eva and I discussed it, and it seemed like the longer we wait, the more things would get in the way of us actually going.” Vincent rises, moving around the desk and to my side, his hand finding my shoulder. His touch is brief but laden with silent encouragement.

“Marco,” he says, and there’s a finality to it. It’s the period at the end of a sentence, the soft click of a door closing. “Keep your guard up,” he advises, the corners of his mouth twitching. “It’s hard to know who we can trust these days.”

“Always,” I reply, the promise etched deep in my voice.

His hand falls away, and he turns, moving toward the window. His mind is already clearly heavy with other concerns. I push myself up, my legs steady and strong. “Thank you,” I say firmly. “For trusting me with this.”

Vincent’s eyes stay fixed on a point outside the window as he replies, “If you need anything, reach out. Don’t try to handle something on your own that you shouldn’t.”

“Understood,” I reply.

I know I’m right about Gia, and maybe once I prove myself to Vincent, he’ll listen to me. Gia would be an asset to this family, not a liability. Vincent simply needs to realize he can trust my leadership and opinions.

Chapter Four

Gia

Iglide the crimson dress over my head, pulling the fabric down until it hugs my curves like a lover’s caress. When I do a quick turn in front of the mirror, it molds to my frame, accentuating each dip and rise with purpose. With a last sweep of gloss over my lips, I’m ready. Confidence surges through me, with a wave of self-assuredness as I remind myself I was forged in this life and deserve to be here.

I jump at the sound of my phone, the ringtone startling me, an unexpected siren. Nico’s name flashes across my phone screen. I press the phone to my ear.

“Hello?” My even voice betrays none of the intrigue that tightens my stomach into knots.

“Hey, Gia,” Nico says. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Nothing that can’t wait,” I lie smoothly, glancing at the clock. Ticking seconds mock me.

“Good,” he hesitates. “I’ve wanted to call you for a couple of days now.”

“You have?”

“Since I saw you at Vincent’s, I haven’t stopped thinking about you.”

“Thanks... I think,” I reply with an awkward laugh.

“It’s absolutely a compliment,” he assures me.

I feel the heat rising in my cheeks, a mixture of surprise and flattery. The night I saw him get shot, not knowing if he would live or die, definitely ignited something in me that led me to do what I did to my father. As much guilt as I carry every day for murdering my father, a part of me knew it had to be done because Nico is still here.

“So is that the only reason you called? To tell me you’ve been thinking about me?” I press, noticing the time slipping away from me.

“Oh no. I mean... Sorry. I guess I wanted to follow up on that thing we discussed.”

“Thing?” I repeat, knowing full well he was referring to us going on a date.

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