Page 14 of Risky Vows

I square my shoulders. "Tell me."

"He opened his eyes. And spoke. Well, not a word I could understand, but groaned and made noises."

"That's—that's amazing. What did the doctor say?"

"Dr. Clark came over this morning and thinks your brother may be waking up from his coma. It's hard to say at this point what kind of life he'll be able to have. We'll need more exams."

The idea of having my brother alive again, in any capacity, fills me with hope. We always shared a good relationship. "Mom, that's incredible news. Why are you so tense?"

Mom snarls, then shakes her head. "Logical conclusions weren't always your forte, were they? Can't you see it? If your husband's family finds out that he's alive, they may kill him."

I ignore her diss, waving it off. "That's going too far. The whole reason we married was to unite the families and wealth. Why would they start a war?"

"I'm not saying it'd be a declared war. They can make it seem like an accident. Don't you see it? If he's alive, your marriage will have been for nothing. We don't need your husband's help anymore. We have a capable person at the helm. Your brother's life is a threat to the carefully drawn plan."

I let her words sink in. A shiver rolls down my spine, and the hair on the back of my neck stands on end. Of all the outlandish scenarios my mom has ever mentioned, this isn't one of them. I swallow, my throat so dry that my tongue almost sticks to the roof of my mouth. "What's the plan?"

"We'll take him to run some tests at the hospital. I have a contact there and will pay good money to ensure privacy. But depending on what they say, we may have to send your brother away somewhere safe, so if he is to get better, he can do it without disruption."

"Where are you thinking?"

She looks around the room, her energy still tense. "I'm not sure yet. The fewer people who know it, the better."

"How can I help?"

"I need you not to say one word to your husband. I mean, it's not like he'll come over and barge into Alonzo's room out of the blue. But employees talk. Sometimes, even after they're bribed not to. I can't risk your brother's life."

I nod. I know exactly what she means. "I won't say a word."

"And if you hear anything suspicious from his side, I need you to tell me immediately. We can't be too careful."

I chew my lower lip. I didn't expect to have to show my loyalty to my family so early into my marriage. I knew I'd have to, even if I didn't want to. But this isn't about my parents anymore. It's about my brother. That realization brings a sour taste to my palate. I can walk out on my parents, but not on Alonzo. "I understand."

"Do you? Because if you keep anything from me, Alonzo may die."

If mafia parenting guilt had an award, my mom would receive it with honors. "No pressure there, Mom. I promise." The weight of my words sits on my shoulders.

I've already vowed to betray my husband two days into my marriage. He promised to cut someone's finger off and make them eat it. What would he do withmeif he found out this secret? What would he do to Alonzo?

"We can't hide Alonzo forever, though. If he gets better, he'll want to return," I say. If my brother is well, I don't see himagreeing to be away from the family business. Or acquiescing to a man like Massimo. Alonzo was always stubborn and strong-willed—and, in his defense, good at what he did.

"Honey, Alonzo opened his eyes and made sounds. It may be that he recovers well or doesn't do much else for the rest of his life. All I want is for him to have a chance at recovery. If your brother returns to being like he was… we'll deal with it. Come up with a plan. But we need time."

10

Massimo

The steamfrom the hot shower dances around me as I grab a towel from the rack and dry myself.

I've been gone for two days. The driver was resolute in not talking, but we made a deal with him—we'd ensure his family's safety if he told us what he knew. He knew he didn't have a chance at staying alive.

And it turns out that the Santinis are more audacious than we gave them credit. They're loose cannons without as many resources as our family. But the lack of vision can be annoying for us—they're a bunch of crackheads who have nothing to lose. Unhinged.

I considered calling Amara when I was away, but that was too much. What would we talk about? Then I thought about texting her to let her know I'd arrive a day earlier than expected. But that also seemed silly. Now it's well past six pm, and according to Anthony, she's been at her mom's all day.

She had much to talk about, though I assumed she didn't have the closest relationship with her parents.

Still.

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