Page 58 of Vow to Me

“Don’t look at me for help, you piece of shit. You kidnapped my fucking wife, and what? Fucking beat her… I’m gonna do so much fucking worse to you. Hell, you deserve to lose a limb or two for daring to call the most fucking precious woman to walk the earth a bitch and a cunt.”

Not like you didn’t call her that and more over the last few days.

You’re just as bad as them.

You don’t deserve to avenge her.

Her life would be better off if you weren’t in it.

No. Nope. Fuck that. I only have one reason for living, and that’sher.I’ll carve my own goddamn heart out before I ever let anything happen to her again.

My gaze flicks over to the asshole who stabbed Izzy in the back after letting her believe he was a man she could depend on for most of her life and this time, I let the rage take control.

I stroll towards him and take in the bruises and wounds that mar his body. I swallow down the nausea that threatens to make an appearance for the second time today at the sight of him. Notbecause I give a fuck about him, but because I know that Izzy also has the same marks covering her body.

A body that should remain encased in glass, which should be fucking worshipped and not scarred.

“You did that to her?” I ask while gesturing to his body and he looks up at me with wide eyes. Now that I’m closer and able to see his injuries properly, I can see how his shoulder is dislocated, he has a black eye and blood dripping from his forehead. His arms and legs are covered in tiny slices. His shirt has been ripped open and he has bruises covering his ribs and torso.

My breath catches in my throat, thinking about how alone Izzy must have felt while locked up down here. There’s a chain attached to the wall and blood on the floor in the corner of the room and I know,I just fucking know,that it’s hers, that this was where she was fucking kept.

I’m also stuck by a bolt of pride that she was able to single handedly take down her father’s men and free herself. It really shouldn’t surprise me, she’s the fucking strongest person I know.

“Please… I was just following the Dons plan,” Alessi whispers and he’s either a stupid fucker he’s got balls of steel since he’s blaming Bianchi while he’s also in the room, but then I realize I don’t really give a fuck which he is, he’s going to die either way.

I’ve thought about killing me man laid out in front of me a thousand times over the last few days, I pictured torturing him, dragging his death out for days and doing every sadistic, twisted, fucked up thing imaginable to him. But now that he’s in front ofme? I realize it’s not worth it, I just want to end this and get the hell out of here so I can find my wife and beg her for her forgiveness.

I reach down to my ankle and grab one of Izzy’s knives from the sheath. I brought a couple of them along so I could have a piece of her with me, and I think it’s fitting to kill this asshole with something that belongs to her, she did do all the hard work of getting him in this state, after all.

I bring the blade to his neck and slice, watching as the life fades from his eyes, as he fades from existence.

I turn around to face my dad and brother, silently communicating with them that we need to fucking hurry this up so I can get out of here. They both give me a slight nod and I look at my father, tilting my head towards Bianchi in a silent question.

In normal circumstances, we’d just fucking kill him. But he’s the Don of Chicago, and I can’t just kill him without thinking about the effect it will have on us. Technically, if he’s dead, Izzy is next in line—not that anyone would accept her because they’re all sexist, misogynistic assholes, so the role would go to me. And like fuck am I moving to another fucking state.

My dad shrugs before pointing his gun at Bianchi. “You had the nerve to fuck with, kidnap, and hurt my daughter,” he hisses, and warmth spreads through me at my father addressing Izzy as his daughter. “You’re lucky I care more about her than dragging out my revenge.” Before I can even blink, he pulls the trigger and lands a shot between his eyes.

“We’ll figure out the Chicago situation later, let’s go find your girl,” Marco says and pats my back before we make our way up thestairs and towards the exit. Just as I’m about to pass through the door that leads outside, I see an envelope lying on the table with something resting on top of it.

The pit returns to my stomach as I slowly approach it, and I blink rapidly as I realize it’s Izzy’s wedding and engagement rings resting on top of a letter that’s addressed to me.

Chapter Forty-Two

Luca,

I wish I could say I’m surprised at the turn of events that have happened since we returned from the island, but I’m not.

We were so happy, weren’t we? I knew something would happen; I knew I could never be happy for too long. People like you and me will never deserve that type of happiness. We’re too dark to be granted the gift of light.

I grew up around the most powerful men in the state, I knew the types of lives they led, I knew their hearts were made from stone and that their souls were black, like a dark abyss that would swallow you whole if you got too close. I don’t know why I ever thought you would be different.

Don’t feel bad, Luca. All you’ve done is what any other man in your position would do. I don’t care what you do with Alessi and my father, I just want to be left out of it.

Iwalked into his marriage knowing the man I married would probably break me physically. But I never thought it would be possible for you to break me mentally, but you did. And now I’m left feeling shattered, not knowing how to put myself back together.

I feel like I’ve lost a part of myself these past few days, not because of the betrayal from Alessi, not the ruthlessness of my father, and not from the torture they put me through when I was locked up in that basement and cut into because I refused to give them any information on your family—but from knowing that you could honestly think I could betray you like you did. That you really thought I would ever be with another man, that I would ever give anyone information on you and your family. That’s what fucking broke me Luca. You broke me, but don’t worry, I’ll find a way to fix myself.

I’ll do it, because I’m not the type of woman who will let a man bring her down and keep her there.

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