Page 106 of Vicious Vows

“You can’t come with me,” he said. “There’s no place for you in my business.”

“My place is with you.” I ran my hand through my hair. “Don’t you know that?”

“I need you to trust me.” He reached for me. “I can’t do my job if I’m worried about you.”

He called me his family earlier. He bared his soul to me and told me he couldn’t live without me.

“I trust you.” I smiled because I didn’t want him to get distracted thinking I was going to do something stupid. “Do what you have to do.”

“I will.” He tugged me to his solid chest and encased me in his muscular arms, surrounding me in his warmth and security. “I’ll take care of everything. All you have to do is be here when I get back. Can you do that?”

He tilted my chin and gazed at me.

“I can.” My bottom lip trembled at the severity in his eyes. “Just make sure you come home.”

“Now that I have you, getting home is my priority.” He pressed his lips to mine, holding still for a moment before gently kissing me. “I love you.”

“You better.” I smirked. “Because it’s going to be an expensive shopping trip.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything else.” He darted down the steps, glancing over his shoulder and winking at me before disappearing from my sight. The image of his flirty smile imprinted in my mind.

“I love you,” I whispered.

I strolled down the hall, taking my time to go back to the bedroom. There wasn’t much of a rush now that Marchello was gone. I didn’t want to sleep—I wasn’t sure I even could.

Glancing around the room, I was reminded of the rousing round of sex we had shared an hour ago.

Why were we so explosive? Could we really expect to survive in such a hostile environment? If the war between our families wasn’t enough, there was the dynamic between us.

Two turbulent souls moving toward each other and neither one knowing when to retreat. Could you spell disaster?

Picking up the pillows from the floor, I fluffed them before placing them on the bed. I crawled under the comforter and cuddled into Marchello’s side of the bed, wishing he was here with me.

I gazed at the skylight, admiring the glow of the moon, but it wasn’t enough to lull me to sleep. Tossing. Turning. Kicking off the covers. Putting the covers back on. With each tick of the clock, the more restless I became.

My father’s offer to reveal what he knew eventually crept into my head. What if I could get him to tell me without him expecting me to leave Marchello?

Stop it!My father’s endgame was to get me home.

Trust Marchello. Trust Marchello. I wriggled one leg out of the covers. I was hot under the comforter and cold when I was out of it.

A brighter illumination slowly replaced the moonlight.The sun?

I checked my phone. It was almost seven. How had I managed to lie here all night and never close my eyes? I had too much on my mind.

There were no texts from Marchello. Should I text him? Would that distract him from whatever he was doing? Hurting? Killing?

Maybe this was the life that destroyed my mother—made her hard, cold, and despise my father. But Marchello wasn’t my father, and I wasn’t my mother. What I had with Marchello was different. We wouldn’t destroy one another like my parents had done to each other. Would we?

What am I doing?I sat up and glanced around the empty room. Marchello and I could get through this. We loved one another. That would be enough.

Right. Even I wasn’t naive enough to believe that. The only way we were going to survive was if something drastic happened.

A quick vibration drew my attention to the nightstand.What the hell?

I sat up and glanced at Marchello’s side of the bed, spotting the burner phone that he rarely let out of his sight. I rolled over and reached for it.

Should I?Marchello said to stay out of his business.

---