Page 84 of Revenge Vows

The guards block my path as I step up, and I sigh.

“I want to see Viper.”

“You can’t.”

I tighten my lips. “Antonio won’t be happy if he finds out that you turned me away.”

The guards speak amongst themselves, and they let me through.

“This has to be a joke. What on earth are you doing here?” Donatello calls as he sees me appear.

I speed up as I walk toward him. “I want to see Antonio.”

“Sorry, he is a little busy. You both can catch up some other time, you conniving little snake.”

His words stop me in my tracks.

“You thought we wouldn’t find out about your calls to Giovanni?”

“I need to see Antonio,” I say, walking past him.

“I don’t want to get vicious with you. It’s going to be a messy couple of hours, and as much as I truly cannot stand you, I don’t want you caught in the middle.”

I keep walking, and Donatello grabs my hands. “I wouldn’t do that if were you,” he says.

I pull my hands away.

“Let her go,” a familiar voice orders.

Donatello sighs, releasing my hands at his brother’s demand.

“What do you want? Why are you here?” Antonio inquires.

I turn slowly, and when I see his face, every shred of dignity within me melts away.

For some reason, he is shirtless. I’ve only been away for three days, but the sight of him is making me feel excited, sad, and desperate all at once. His chest is glistening with sweat. He’s been working hard on something.

“Cat got your tongue?” Donatello snaps sarcastically.

I swear I want to speak, but Antonio’s intense gaze renders me speechless.

“Guard the gates. Take some men with you. I’ll handle her,” he orders Donatello.

“Antonio, we can’t have her here. It’s too dangerous,” Donatello protests.

“I’ll handle it. Go guard the gates,” Antonio repeats firmly. Donatello glares at me before he leaves us.

“Antonio—” I begin.

“Leave while you still can. I don’t think we have anything else to say to each other,” he interrupts, turning and walking back into the house.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Antonio

Why do I feel so relieved seeing her? She shouldn’t be here. It’s terrible that she is here. But why does my heart skip a beat at the sight of her?

I notice that she has more color in her face. She’s wearing a dress that hugs her figure better than the ones I got for her.

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