Page 7 of Twisted Vows

Luna has never broken one rule, and I imagine it will shake our world when she finally does. “I’m here.”

“Thank you.” She gives me a sympathetic smile. “I hear Franco has decided on your husband, and Gio Santoro is bragging to everyone he’s the lucky groom.”

“Uugh, he’s so slimy. All he does is preen like a peacock.” I turn my ring twice and swallow the sadness filling my chest. It’snot like I expected any kind of happiness, but the reality of tying my life to someone like him makes my stomach turn.

“You are one of a kind, Ari.” She tips my chin up. “Use it. Make no apologies. And bring whoever it is to his knees.”

I cough in surprise. “Wow. I did not see that coming.”

“I may play by the rules, but that doesn’t mean the same fire of rebellion doesn’t burn inside me, too.” She shakes her head. “I don’t care for the Santoros and their relentless ambition. Gio’s father is still bitter that André ascended the throne and picked Franco as hisconsigliere.”

“And now we’re aligned with the Russians, which means he’s blocked from gaining power.” My cousin arches her brow in surprise. “What? I listen to the gossip at those lunches you’re always dragging me to.”

“For all the good it does us.” She nods at her brother across the room. “I better go make my rounds since thecaposare chafing against the alliance with the Russians.”

“Have fun,” I murmur, wishing Fausto were here. He was the only one who made these things bearable, and the loss hits like a gut punch. Taking a long breath through my nose, I shove it into the pit where all my real feelings rot.

I square my shoulders and notice Maxsim Volkov staring at me across the room. “Beast.”

“What’s that?” Clara asks as she stands beside me.

I take my younger cousin’s hand. “Nothing. I’m just taking in the sights.”

“The Bratva madman can’t seem to take his eyes off you,” Clara says, her voice soft with awe. “He’s like a Russian bear—dangerous and… beautiful.”

“The kind that would maul you and leave you for dead,” I mumble as he disappears into the crowd.

“Didn’t he save your life after you were kidnapped?”

“No!” I turn to her and frown. “Franco and Enzo already had a plan in place, and he simply crashed the party and tagged along.”

“Do you think all the rumors are true about him?”

“Of course, why else would he bother with all those custom suits.” Clara’s mouth twists together in confusion. “It’s the only way to hide the monster that lurks beneath.”

A large shadow looms above us, and I look up. “Stop glaring, Max. You have enough wrinkles as it is.”

A bald-faced lie. His angular face is free from any imperfection.

His hands flex at his sides, and I smile with satisfaction. One of the few joys of my life is annoying people who mistakenly believe they have some agency over me.

“You didn’t return my call.” Maxsim leans his massive body against the table we’re standing beside.

“I’m going to get another piece of cake.”

Clara scurries off before I can object. “Why must you frighten the children?”

“You can’t ignore me forever.”

“And yet that’s exactly what I’m doing.” His eyes never leave mine, and I ignore the frisson of awareness. “We’re godparents to Gianna and Alexey’s daughter, not best friends. We don’t need to chat every day and discuss our lives.”

“You used to like me, Ari.” He shifts closer. “What happened?”

“Life,” I respond quietly. He rests his arm on the table, his finger touching the sleeve of my dress.

“Makes sense…but I pulled you out of a burning building not that long ago. You can fucking call me back.”

Each word out of his mouth feels like a stick of dynamite. “It was months ago, Maxsim.” He leans close enough that I’m surrounded by his scent. “In our world, that’s a lifetime.”

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