Page 37 of Twisted Vows

Despite my initial denial, the honesty in his tone convinces me to study him through my lashes.

“He mentioned you before I stabbed him.”

Understanding rushes through me, and I close my hands into fists, squishing his seed and aggravating his wound.

“You killed one of the gang members who came into the ER the night before and held me at gunpoint, didn’t you?”

Even with fissures of pleasure wracking my body, I choose my words carefully, purposefully using gang instead of mafia.

His fist tightens in my hair and he flexes his hips, nudging my hand with his tip.

“Fucking hell, I shouldn’t have killed him so quickly. I should’ve tortured him. Made him suffer.”

“What? Why?”

“He didn’t mention pointing a gun in your face. I wish I could kill him all over again for putting you through that.”

“Like what you’ve done is any better?”

“You know this iswaybetter,mia caramellina. Trying to say it isn’t is a lie. You’re still alive now because of me, and you’re going to keep being alive because of me.Capisci?”

It’s the closest thing to a declaration of love I’ve ever received from a man. I don’t want it. I don’t trust him. He’s Seppi Capito’s brother.

“I still won’t marry you,” I say.

“You don’t have a choice. Marrying me is the only way you can leave this room again,” he responds.

Despite my better judgment, I ask, “Why?”

“Wives can’t snitch on their husbands.”

I can’t tell if he’s serious by his tone, and his expression gives nothing away. When I glare at him, he smirks and licks my bottom lip before wrapping his thick fingers around my wrist, but he doesn’t pull my claws out of his back.

“Men protect their wives. They’re untouchable. Sacred. No one will dare touch you once you’re mine.”

While I curl my lip in disgust, my soul yearns for what he offers. I’ve always had to be strong for me and my sister. When he fed and coddled me, he woke a needy, desperate part of me. And now she begs for attention.

He pulls me out of my thoughts by releasing my hair and brushing his fingertips over my scalp.

“But above all, you’re going to marry me because I want you. I’m addicted. I can’t get enough of you.”

The fierceness in his tone matches the intensity in his eyes, and my insides quiver at being the center of his attention.

“Eventhis,” he squeezes his hand around my wrist, indicating my nails in his wound, “the way you hurt and challenge me. I need more.”

“You’re insane. Certifiable. Get off me,” I demand through gritted teeth.

“Believe it or not, you aren’t the first person to call me crazy, but for you, I’ll admit it. Iam. I’ll drag you kicking and screaming to the altar if I must.”

I clench my jaw and glare at him as I cling to my sanity by my fingernails. Emotions storm through me. Before I lose my grip, I separate my inner conflicts and shove them into their own tiny compartments in my mind. I’ll inspect them later. For now, all that matters is getting out of this room and warning my sister.

My muscles lock as I recall the mafia boss’s threats. I close my eyes and take a deep breath before looking deep into Fiero’s dark pupils.

“He said he’d come back for me. Are you going to kill him?”

A muscle ticks in his jaw, and when he doesn’t immediately respond, my heart hardens.

“Eventually.”

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