Page 66 of Crimson Vows

“I’m going to text you an address.” My fingers work quickly, sharing the information for my safe house nestled just outside the city. It’s a shithole, but I have it in case I ever need a place to lie low. In the life we lead, when your enemies are both criminals and the cops, you never know if you’ll need somewhere to hide. As much as I hate imagining her in such a rough place, at least I know she’ll be safe until I’m sure I can fix all of this.

“No, I’m not going.”

“What?”

“I don’t understand. Why do you want me to go there?” Gia asks, panic creeping in.

“Please, Gia.” My firm voice is laced with urgency. “You need to do this for me.”

“I’m not leaving until you explain what’s going on.”

“You’re right. I was an idiot not to think of it before. If there’s a chance someone has already found Dante, I can’t risk what he might tell them. If he implicates you in any way, fuck, I don’t want to think about it,” I answer honestly, knowing it’s the only way I will get her to comply. “That place I’m sending you is empty. Nobody knows about it. I keep it around in case I ever need a place.”

I sense her hesitation. Eventually, she murmurs, “Alright, I’ll go, but I want you to come with me.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

“If you think they would send people for Dante, I know you’re worried about them coming for you too.”

“They’re not going to find me, okay? I promise. I’ll be careful. I’m going to tell Nico to meet you there. He’ll watch over you until things are sorted out.”

“I can take care of myself.”

I chuckle, knowing how true her statement is. Gia has proven she is the last person in the world who needs protection. “You’re right. How about I send Nico there so you can watch over him?”

“How about you’re full of shit, and you think I need some man to keep me safe?” she snaps. One thing that enamored me with Gia in the first place was her strength. I knew back when I drove for her family that summer she had a fighter’s spirit, but at that moment, I wished she would let me protect her.

“I know you can take care of yourself,” I reply, my jaw clenching with frustration. “But will you please let me send Nico there for my peace of mind?”

“Fine,” she huffs. “But only because if Nico is with me, I know he’s not where Vincent can get his hands on him.”

“Thank you.” I breathe a sigh of relief. I don’t care how Gia rationalizes having protection with her; I just need to know she isn’t alone.

“Do you want me to head there now?” she asks.

“Yes,” I confirm. “As soon as we hang up, I want you on your way. I’ll call Nico.”

“What about Dante?”

“What do you mean? What about him?” I ask, surprised by her question.

“Well, what if they don’t have him? Shouldn’t we try to find him before one of Vincent’s guys does?”

My muscles tense at her words. At this point, I’m probably the last person Gia should want looking for Dante because I don’t know what I would do if I got my hands on him.

“Don’t worry about Dante right now. You need to head to the safe house and wait for Nico.”

Silence lingers on the other end of the line. The idea crosses my mind of driving straight to her house, throwing her over my shoulder, and dragging her to that safe house myself.

“Gia?”

She clears her throat. “Marco, I want you to promise me you’re not thinking of doing something terrible.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Promise me you’re not considering offering Dante up to Vincent.” Her plea slices through the air, sharp and clear. While the thought had played out in my head, I hadn’t committed myself to the idea. However, if I thought there were no other options to keep Gia safe, I wouldn’t hesitate to do so.

“Marco, please.” Her voice softens, a velvet touch against the hard edge of desperation.

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