Page 107 of Ruthless Oath

Leavingmy captor wasn’t something I wanted to do. Ihadto do it.

The alternative would be to stay here and let this war between our families escalate to the point where someone died.

Why did making the right decision hurt so much?

As desperate as leaving Marchello felt, staying would be far worse.

My father could be reasoned with if I went about it in a way he would understand. I would make him see that Marchello was not his enemy. If he could accept that the two of us were together, he could call a truce. Our families didn’t have to be rivals.

I set the pen on the nightstand and folded the note I had just written in half. My hand trembled as I placed the goodbye-for-now letter in the center of the bed.

Marchello would be furious when he realized what I had done. I hoped this note would help ease some of that rage.

Curling up on his side of the bed, I held his pillow close to my chest. If I could stay with him forever, I would, but there would be no forever in our future without trying to appeal to my father.

I closed my eyes. I hadn’t made anything easy for Marchello the last few weeks, but somehow, he’d begun to drop his tough exterior. There were even moments when he let me in—when we seemed like a normal couple.

I stood in the doorway of the study, holding the plate of brownies he and I had made together. He was lost in paperwork. His business had been suffering because of me. He wasn’t there to do what needed to be done at the dealership and that weighed heavily on him.

I couldn’t stop gawking. His short-sleeved black shirt showed off his muscles and tattoos in the most prominent display of perfection. The red and black ink popped off his arms, bringing each elaborate piece of art to life.

“What’s got you so intrigued?” He pushed the papers away from him.

“The view.”

“You like what you see?”

“Doesn’t every woman you encounter like what she sees?” I asked. “You must know how appealing you are.”

“I’m not interested in every woman I encounter.” He motioned for me to join him. “Just the one standing in front of me.”

Heat rose from my neck and settled into my cheeks. Of all the filthy words that fell from his lips, none of them made me blush the way his sweet words did.

He nodded toward the plate. “What’s this?”

“The brownies were cool enough to cut. I thought we should try them together.”

He pushed the chair away from his desk, making room for me to sit on the edge. I skipped into the room and sat across from him, placing the plate in my lap.

“They look good.” He rested his hands on my legs. “You did a fantastic job.”

“You did most of the work.”

“We did it together.” He squeezed my thighs.“It has been a long time since I baked brownies. I had forgotten how relaxing being in the kitchen could be.”

“I like doing things with you.”

“Do you like being trapped in this house with me?”

“What’s the alternative?” I asked. “Are you going to let me go?”

“Do you want me to let you go?” His calm, steady voice unsettled me. Did he know that Ricardo had been about to give me his phone when he walked into the kitchen?

“It would make things easier for you, wouldn’t it?”

“When have you ever made my life easier?” He smiled. “This conversation is pointless because you’re staying with me.”

“You’re a brave man.” I broke off a piece of the brownie and fed it to him. “I can’t believe you didn’t release me from captivity after that first night.”

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