Page 39 of Of Oaths and Secrets

“We both know what marriage means in our world,” I say dismissively. Maybe a little too dismissively. I should mean it—I want to mean it—but I can’t shake the image of her blue eyes from last night, the hurt that resided there, no matter how much I try.

“Speak for yourself, Reaper. In my world, love is common, and mine was a marriage of love.”

His admission is surprising, but I don’t dwell on it. There’s no room for sentiment in my life. Not now.

“Well, I would like to say it was a pleasure,” I reply, signaling to Paolo with a jerk of my head that we’re done here.

“Same to you.”

We exit the bar in silence, and as we walk to the car, I can feel Paolo’s eyes on the back of my neck, his unspoken questions pressing down on me.

“Say what you want to say.” I sigh as he opens the car door.

“Do you trust him?” Paolo asks, his voice measured but edged with concern.

“Not particularly, but we have a common goal, and that’s enough for now.”

He nods, starting the car. We drive in silence for a few minutes, the tension between us thickening with every passing mile.

Finally, he speaks again, his voice laced with barely contained frustration. “What are you hiding?”

I knew he’d catch on eventually. I just hoped it would be later after everything had settled. “What do you mean?” I ask, my tone carefully neutral, though I know it won’t fool him.

Paolo glances at me, his eyes narrowing. “You’re not just dealing with the bratva. There’s something else going on. Something you’re not telling me.”

I lean back in my seat, staring out the window as the landscape blurs by. “I’m handling it, Paolo. That’s all you need to know.”

His grip tightens on the steering wheel. “Rafaele, I’ve been with you for years. Don’t shut me out now. If there’s something more, if there’s a bigger threat?—”

“It’s not that simple,” I cut him off, my voice sharpening with a rare edge. “The best way to handle this right now is to keep things under wraps. I need to know exactly what I’m dealing with before I make any moves. Until then, trust that I have it under control.”

“You’ve never shut me out before,” he presses, his frustration evident.

“This isn’t like before. This isn’t about you.” I glance down at my phone, the screen dimming as my thoughts swirl. “But I need you to help me out.”

“Anything,” Paolo replies without hesitation, his loyalty unwavering.

I trace my fingers over the screen of my phone, hesitating, not because of Paolo but because of the unfamiliar vulnerability the words will reveal. “She’s not just anyone. She’s not just a business transaction. She unsettles me, and nothing ever does. I want her… not to be miserable with me. Maybe even happy.”

He nods, absorbing my words with the calm understanding that only years of friendship can bring. There’s no surprise in his eyes, just a quiet acceptance of the shift in my resolve.

“You’re not surprised?”

He shrugs, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Not really. I never thought you were unfeeling. You’re a good man, Rafa. I wouldn’t be your right-hand man if you weren’t. She seems like a good woman too. She deserves to be happy.”

I nod, not sure where he’s going with this. “Okay?”

“And what you did today? Leaving her to fend for herself the day after your wedding? That’s not cool. And don’t start with the ‘it’s just who I am’ routine because we both know it’s not.”

I glance down at my phone, not quite sure how to explain myself, knowing that any denial would be pointless. “She needs to get used to the life she’s chosen with me. She told me she married me because she could never love me, that I’m not one for theatrics. The sooner she realizes how bleak her life will be, the better it is for both of us.”

Suddenly, Paolo starts laughing—a full, deep-throated laugh that echoes in the car, and I feel a surge of irritation. I want to punch him, but I can’t with him driving.

I just opened up to him, gave him a glimpse of what was troubling my thoughts, and he laughs.

“So she’s as delusional as you are?” Paolo shakes his head, still chuckling. “She picked you because she can’t love you? Damn, bro, did you actually buy that?”

I look away, not wanting to look more foolish than I already do and definitely not wanting him to see how completely clueless I am in all of this.

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