Page 115 of Abandoned Oaths

He wasn’t a threat. Not to me.

At least, not to Millie.

Protecting me was his priority. He’d proven that over and over again.

Yet I was supposed to destroy him.

This wasn’t the first time I questioned my existence.

I wasn’t completely heartless. Most of the men and women I’d killed over the years had it coming. They practically had relief in their eyes when they realized they were dying. They were aware of their indiscretions against the Velez Pack and waiting for the consequences to arrive.

Without revealing everything, I had no way of knowing if Alessio knew he’d crossed into the Pack’s territory or not. He might be unaware of the areas we rule over or the products we control.

I’d seen that before. Those were the missions that usually kept me up the following night, wondering if what I was doing was right or good or even just.

The targets got no warning. There was no paperwork, no lead-up to a trial where you got to defend yourself and have a jury of your peers decide your fate.

You wronged the Velez? You died.

Alessio and his organization might never see this coming. I couldn’t tip him off, and I wouldn’t.

In the grand scheme of the family, I was no one. Sure, I was valuable enough to keep around for things like this, but in the end, I was just as replaceable as anyone else. El Lobo wouldn’t so much as blink issuing my execution orders if I betrayed him.

As much as I was growing to like Alessio and Ama, they weren’t worth my life.

Alessio stretched out. “Mmm, morning.” He leaned over and kissed me.

I stayed on my side, watching him.

“Morning.”

He blinked several times, then focused on me. “Something on your mind?”

I cracked a smile. “I’m your girlfriend.”

He grinned back. “Yes, you are.”

I pulled my hand up from under the sheets and stroked my thumb over his jawline. “But I feel like I don’t really know you.”

His dark brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

I pushed my fingers into his thick brown hair and gently massaged his scalp. “I don’t know what you do for work. I know you’re a boss over employees, and you have a security team. I’ve met your sister, but you never talk about your parents or anyone else. I don’t know if you have a car you drive or if you always use a driver. If you went to college, where you’ve traveled, or if you have any allergies.” I widened my eyes. “All I know is you’re good in bed.”

He laughed and reached out, pulling me into him and kissing the top of my head. “Most women aren’t usually interested in all of that.”

I pushed up enough to look at him. “Am I most women?”

“No, but––”

“I’m not interested in you for your house or money or what exclusive club you can get me into. I’ve got that on my own. I’m interested in you.”

He stared back and me and let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t think I’ve ever been with someone like you.”

I cocked a brow. “Exactly.”

He laid back as he looked up at the ceiling. “Work, well, that’s somewhat intertwined with my parents. My dad’s parents left him a little money when they passed. I’m talking a few thousand dollars. My mom wanted him to take it to the bank and put it in a savings account so they could gain interest and eventually help us with college or trade school. My father agreed he wanted to help us, but he didn’t think that would make them very much. He wanted to take more of a risk, so he found a group to invest with. They started out buying houses in Cuba and flipping them. That grew into commercial real estate as well. Then they came to Florida and continued. Opportunities arose for them to continue to diversify, and eventually, the others either retired or my dad bought them out. The company was his to pass onto me.”

That sounded plausible, totally realistic, but I knew that wasn’t all.

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