Page 27 of Ruthless Vow

Even the date of the weekend yacht trip wasn’t something I handed to my aunt’s people. They found out another way. I suspect by bribing someone at the marina in Dana Point.

“You did your job,” he says. “And then suddenly, on a streak of red-hot vengeance, you hired a half dozen mercs to help you take out me and my family.”

“No. Just you.”

“My family and my men were in the line of fire. Damian. Sabina. Luca.”

“Vito was there too, he tells me. And Joe. Unconscious, but there.”

“And you’re smug about it, too. Fucking ballsy’s what you are.”

“You think this is smug?” I hiss out a sigh of frustration. “Bottom line, Leo, I failed. You win. You’re still alive, even if you got a bullet in your leg. Now I’m at your mercy.” I snort. “Whatever minuscule spec of mercy you might possess.”

“Not even a minuscule spec,” he says. “Not for you.”

“So why haven’t you killed me yet?”

“Giving me ideas, are you? Got some suggestions on how I should deal with you? You’re still breathing, little wolf, because I need answers. I don’t care how fucking driven you were for vengeance after what happened to your father. You didn’t do this on your own.”

Leo stares at me, his features expressionless, his dark eyes fathomless and cold. “My father gave you a chance. He cared about you. Enough so that he wanted me to look out for you. You were special to him.” I wince at his words. “More than just the daughter of a childhood friend. I never really thought about it and I’m kicking my own ass for that. What’s so fucking special about you, Nicole?”

“Nothing,” I tell him with absolute honesty. “There’s nothing special about me.”

“I fucking wish that was the truth,” he mutters. Then he turns and paces toward the door, rubbing the back of his neck. “You are a serious pain in my ass at this point. Don’t even know what I’m thinking, keeping you so close.”

When he turns back to face me, his brows shoot up. I’m close enough to breathe in the faint scent of his cologne, something spicy and sexy. To see every dark, curled eyelash. To close my fingers on his gun and pull it free of his waistband as I quickly step back out of his reach.

“Sloppy,” I tell him. “Leaving your gun out in the open for anyone to grab? Surprisingly sloppy, Leo.”

His eyes move up to lock with mine. Something dark gleams in their depths. Something primitive. “And what are you planning to do with that?”

For a disorienting second, I think he sounds amused, even approving.

“I’m planning on using it to get out of here and you’re going to let me leave,” I say.

“And if I don’t?”

“Then I’m going to finish what I started on the boat.”

His lips curve in that terrifying, mirthless smile. Then he nods slowly.

“You’re going to shoot me in the face because you still think I killed your father,” he says, his voice low and silky.

“No. I’m going to shoot you in the face because you are holding me prisoner and threatening to kill me. And because I have places I need to be and people I need to find. And right now, you’re standing in my way.”

“Here’s the thing, Nicole.” Leo spreads his hands. “I don’t think you’ll do it. You chickened out on the boat. You had the perfect opportunity. And you didn’t pull the trigger. What was going on in your head?”

He takes a step toward me.

I take a step back.

“That need to avenge your father…the fact that you believed I set a bomb that blew him to pieces. That deserves death. And if I’d been the one to do it, I would have accepted my fate. But I didn’t do it. You were fed incorrect information and I’m curious as fuck who told you it was me. Me, specifically.” He shakes his head. “You know me. We’ve worked together for months. I knew you for two years before that. Is a bomb my style?”

No. A bomb isn’t his style.

“I don’t know you, Leo,” I say. “And you don’t know me.”

“I know enough. Now that the mask is gone, it helps me see the real you. My little wolf.”

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