Page 69 of Heartless Vows

A mix of townhouses and businesses line the street, like hundreds of others in New York City, but nothing looks familiar. Parallel parked along the side of the road with cars of all makes and models, Giorgio’s vehicle blends in a little too well. I turn to look out my window at the building we’re parked beside and realize the nondescript shop could sell anything. Anything.

Apprehension jangles up my spine, but as Giorgio opens my door, my anxiety fades away.

He won’t let anything happen to me. No danger will make it past him. His eyes never stop scanning the area for threats, and his muscles remain poised for action.

I take his hand and plaster myself against his side, refusing to be a distraction when he clearly isn’t comfortable on the sidewalk.

He opens the foggy glass door and ushers me into the building.

Fiero stands in the back corner beside a tall woman dressed in all black. I stiffen until her white gloves and polite smile register.

She welcomes us, bids us closer, and gestures to the table draped in black cloth beside her. Eight jewelry display cases sit side by side.

I swallow as emotions clog my throat. Each display case holds a set of male and female wedding rings.

I never expected to have any say over what my ring looked like, even though I’d wear it the rest of my life. My mother made it clear long ago she’d be in charge of every aspect of my wedding, including this, so I don’t know how to process all the emotions welling up in me.

As we move closer, I realize two matching necklace and bracelet sets—one feminine and one masculine—sit in their own displays behind the rings. I glance at Giorgio. His diabolical smirk almost releases the floodgates, but I breathe in through my nose and shake my head.

“What is this, exactly? Why are we sneaking around for wedding rings when our parents want everyone to know we’re together?”

Giorgio pulls me flush against him, wrapping me in his arms and easing me further from my outburst.

“These aren’t normal rings. Each piece of jewelry has its own micro-GPS tracking device. They connect through both satellite and cellular systems, so no matter where you go on the globe,” he leans down to press his forehead to mine, “I’ll find you.”

My breath hitches. I hook both hands behind his nape and offer him my most innocent expression.

“Are you sure about this? You won’t be able to fake your death and run away from all your problems if I put one of these on your finger.”

“Oh, I’m sure,mia topolina. You’re stuck with me for the rest of your life.”

I clear my throat and blink a few times.

“Thank you, Giorgio.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Try them all on. If none of them suit you, I’ll buy you a new one tomorrow. And the next day. And the next, until the only jewelry you own are things I’ve bought you.”

Touched beyond measure, I frame his face with my hands and kiss his cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead before pulling away to look at the rings.

I dismiss the first three. They’re too big and gaudy, but the fourth and fifth have simpler arrangements, so I stop and study them for a moment. The sixth steals my attention. It’s elegant, but the diamond sticks out too far from the band. I don’t want to gouge chunks out of Tristan when we play fight.

The craftsmanship on each one is superb. I don’t know where they’ve hidden the micro-GPS chips; they all look like normal jewelry to me.

Emotion surges through me when I step in front of the seventh ring.

“What is this one called? I’ve never seen a diamond cut like this.”

“It’s a kite cut, also known as a delta cut. All our diamonds are natural and certified to ensure the highest quality, but this one has flawless clarity and is the largest colorless diamond to have gone through the certification process this year,” the saleswoman says.

My brain turns off as she continues praising the set. All I know is that it’s beautiful and I want to see it on my finger. Tiny diamonds sparkle in the simple vine designs framing the center diamond. The matching necklace and bracelet hold a similar delicate design.

The thicker, more masculine ring has vine designs etched along the surface and a matching kite-cut diamond embedded in the band.

Giorgio reaches over and slips the feminine engagement ring and wedding band from the display. My entire body shakes as he takes my hand and slips them on my finger. After kissing my knuckles, he tilts my wrist and shows it to me.

“I love it,” I manage through tingling lips.

He smiles, turns me around, tucks my hair over my shoulder, and puts the necklace on me. I shift toward the full-length mirror and can’t recall ever feeling so beautiful.

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