Page 65 of Brutal Vows

My legs shake beneath me, but there’s no room for weakness here. It’s not a luxury I can afford. My pulse quickens as I try to recall how I ended up here, but it’s like trying to piece together a damaged puzzle that doesn’t have all the pieces—a daunting task I’m unable to complete.

I force a swallow past the knot in my throat. His displeasure is a storm cloud hanging over my head, ready to drench me in fear and anguish at any given moment. The realizationof my circumstances stirs up a whirlwind of dread and anxiety, sending chills down my spine.

“Sorry,” I manage to choke out between gritted teeth, each word punctuated with an unseen jab at my already battered emotions.

His laugh is cold and hollow, a harsh reminder of the danger surrounding me.

“That’s what I’ve always loved about you,” his sneer never leaves his face, “Always so apologetic.”

I flinch at his mockery. It triggers a wave of fury inside me. But any retaliation would only exacerbate my situation. Everything about being here yanks me back into the world I’ve been floundering in since childhood—a labyrinth of corruption and fear with no visible escape.

The turmoil inside me threatens to surface as bile rises in my throat, but damn if I am going to give him the satisfaction of seeing it.

“It’s funny how easily people will turn on one another.” My father smirks and tilts his head toward the other side of the room. It takes a moment for my vision to clear the blurriness of the migraine that has set in full force.

When I see the man standing there, leaning against the doorframe between the living room and the entryway, it all comes back to me.

“How could you?” Tears gather in my eyes as I stare at the man who betrayed my husband and me. The one who assured me that his intention had never been to harm me. He gave his word to help, but he has proved to be nothing more than a snake.

Tomas shrugs at my question, a dark smirk tilting one side of his mouth. “Let’s say that your father offered me a better deal.”

“If that deal is money,” I growl. “You might wantto rethink it because he’s broke. Dirt poor.” A scream is caught in my throat when the back of his hand comes down across my cheek. The world spins, and I nearly land on my ass.

“Shut your mouth,puttana,” he snarls at me. “Or I’ll cut your tongue out before I hand you over to Salvatore.”

My heart plummets at the mention of Salvatore’s name, fear sinking its claws into my gut. Is that how he is planning on paying Tomas? It sickens me that my own father is still planning on selling me to Salvator to clear his debt. I suck in a shuddering breath.

“Oh, Look,” Tomas murmurs sarcastically, a nasty grin spreading across his face, but there is something about it that is off. “She’s scared now.”

I straighten up, clenching my jaw hard against his mocking words. Ignoring the throb in my cheek, I turn to face the man who betrayed my husband. “Scared? No. Repulsed? Immensely.”

The room spins a bit with the effort, but I force out a bitter chuckle. A pained laughter echoes through the room and bounces off the walls, mocking me at every turn.

“Insolent girl,” my father sneers, towering above me like some desecrated monument of paternal authority. “You should use the respect I taught you or your new master might beat it into you.”

“And you need to learn to quit while you’re ahead,” I shoot back instantly. “But here we are.”

The room plunges into silence broken with Tomas’ sudden laughter and before I know it, he’s not leaning against the doorway anymore but ambles toward us wrapping an arm around my father’s shoulder.

“Fino,” he purrs at him. “She has you there.”

There’s something wild and untamed about his smile, a feral edge that lights up his eyes as he watches my father’sface contort with rage at his snide remark. It ignites a rare flicker of hope within me, a fleeting illusion that maybe I’m not as isolated in this chaotic nightmare as I feel.

My father’s complexion darkens to a furious crimson, his lips parting to unleash a torrent of anger. But before the words can escape, the sharp crack of gunfire slices through the tension, echoing through the windows and spilling chaos into the entryway.

Tomas flashes me a quick, conspiratorial wink, and then, to my horror, his hands move with lethal precision. He grips my father’s head and with a practiced twist, the sickening snap of bone reverberates through the air. My father’s hefty form collapses like a felled tree, hitting the tile floor with a dull, final thud that reverberates in my bones.

“Nope.” The bile rises swiftly, and I can’t hold it back. I turn away, fall to my knees, and retch violently, spewing vomit across the polished floor as the room spins around me.

“It’s alright,” a soothing voice whispers, gathering me up in their arms. “I’ve got you, little deer.”

A sob escapes as the familiar cedarwood envelopes me.

Vitali.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers in my ear, his voice trembling with regret. “I’m so sorry, my love. It needed to happen this way.”

The bitter realization that Tomas’ betrayal had been orchestrated as part of a secret plan sends fresh waves of anguish crashing over me, and I sob harder than before. I bury my head against my husband’s chest, my fingers desperately clutching at his shirt as if it could anchor me against the storm inside.

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