Page 63 of Vow to Me

Blue Vipers? What sort of fucking gang name is that? Ridiculous.

“Are you sure that’s all you know?” I grunt as I bring my knife to his arm and carve my initials. His screams fill the room as he sobs and begs me to stop.

“I-I don’t know anything!” he yells, and I believe him. You always get to a certain point and know that there’s nothing else to know. I bring the knife up and stab him in the side of his neck, letting blood spurt across my bare arms as I revel in his screams, thankful for the momentary distraction of the shit show that now is my life. It doesn’t last long, life without Izzy is unbearable and I’m not sure how much longer I can survive like this.

I head to the bathroom and clean off his blood before I shrug my suit jacket back on and pull out my phone to text Alec and updatehim on what I’ve learned. My pulse races as I realize I’ve got a text waiting for me from Izzy.

My Wife

Can you meet me later? Alana’s Coffee Shop, 3pm.

She wants to meet me? That’s a good thing, right? For the first time in days, I feel a sliver of hope. I check the time and breathe a sigh of relief that I’ve still got an hour before she wants to meet, giving me time to head home and shower before I meet her. I send a quick message to Alec before replying to her.

Of course, I’ll see you soon.

I head to my car and my father calls as I’m driving home. I press accept on the dash and his voice filters through the speakers.

“Luca.” He sounds resigned, as though he doesn’t want to be making the call. For fuck’s sake, what’s happened now?

“What’s up, Dad?”

“Damo just called me,” he blurts, and my hands tighten on the steering wheel. Damo is one of our men, the one who I tasked to watch over Izzy.

“What’s wrong? What happened? Is she okay?” I ask and he sighs in return. “She’s fine, son… he didn’t want to be the one to call you, he figured the news would be best coming from me.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. Is she with someone else? Has she met someone? I don’t think I’d be able to stop myself fromkilling him. No, Izzy wouldn’t fucking do that, I know that now. Theres no way in fuck she’s seeing someone else.

“Just say it Dad, what’s going on?”

“She visited Alaric Dean at his office this morning, I’m sorry.”

Alaric Dean? That name sounds familiar…I feel like I’ve heard the name before…and then it hits me—Blank Astor Dean law. He’s a fucking divorce attorney. She’s filed for divorce; she really did it. Fuck, that’s why she wants to meet me.

That spark of hope I felt only moments ago fades to dread. I’ve already begged her on my knees, I’ve tried giving her space, I really don’t think there’s anything else that can save us. She was the best thing that ever fucking happened to me, and I set our relationship on fire, burning us both and leaving us to be nothing but a pile of ashes.

I clear my throat and murmur, “It’s fine, I knew it was coming, I just didn’t want to accept it. I’m meeting her in an hour, I need to go, Dad. I’ll call you later.” I end the call before he can reply and drive home in a daze, how I make it in one piece I don’t fucking know. All I know is my wife really is leaving me, I won’t fight it, that will only hurt her more. I’ve hurt her enough as it is.

I always knew she deserved the world, I just failed to give it to her.

After I quickly shower and change my clothes, I head back down to my car. I’m going to end up being thirty minutesearly, but I can’t just fucking sit at home and spiral, deciding it would be easier to just walk, I abandon the car with the valet and start walking the few blocks towards the coffee shop.

My breathing picks up the closer I get, my thoughts firing rapidly.

I lost her.

I fucking lost her.

I thought the fucking worst of her.How the hell could I ever think she would betray me?

She’s my fucking lifeline, and now I’m going to have to spend the rest of my life knowing I blew up my entire world.

I pause for a second on the sidewalk and force myself to inhale.Fuck,I’m losing my fucking mind. How am I supposed to hold onto my sanity, knowing that she’s out there, living her life without me? I pull my cell from my pocket and dial Marco.

“Yeah?” he answers on the first ring.

“I need you to promise me something,” I murmur.

“Are you okay man? Dad told me about Izzy visiting the lawyer’s office.”

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