Page 48 of Vicious Vows

“Will you stay with me today?”

“I have to meet with Lorenzo in about an hour,” he said. “I won’t be long, then I’m all yours.”

“Does the meeting have to do with what happened last night?”

Not only did my gut nag at me to help Marchello and his family, but it also told me that he wasn’t being completely honest when he said he didn’t know who came after him last night.

“It’s being handled.” He tilted my chin and stared into my eyes, silently warning me to drop it. “You don’t need to know any more than that.”

There was so much more I needed to know about this mysterious man I had given my heart to, but when his lips touched mine, I gave into his demands. I abandoned my questions and surrendered to him.

Being in the dark had its advantages, especially when it came to Marchello.

But it had its disadvantages too, and I was merely a breath away from finding out how bad those could be.

ELEVEN

Marchello

The thoughtof settling the score with Gian had plagued me for days. Taking down an enemy was always complicated, but when you were sleeping with that enemy’s daughter, well, that brought intricate to a whole new level.

This is why you don’t get into bed with rival families.

Eliminating Collins wouldn’t be a problem. He had no affiliation with the other crime families in the city. And now that I had Lorenzo’s backing, I didn’t have to worry about cartel retaliation for any business moves I made when it came to Collins.

Gian was a completely different animal. If I took him out, it wouldn’t be a cartel I would have to worry about. The consequences of killing him would follow me forever. His daughter would never forgive me. I’d have to make sure she never found out who was responsible.

Could we survive such a betrayal?

Lissia took her time folding her expensive clothes and putting them into the suitcase, treating each one with care and respect. She was still recovering, and although she insisted she wasn’t in any pain, her tranquil demeanor said otherwise.

Her pale green sundress complimented her tanned skin and silky, dark hair. This was the first time she had worn anything other than her pajamas since her father tried to kill me and shot her in the process.

“Why are you staring at me?” she asked.

“Because you’re beautiful.”

“I’m a wreck.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I don’t have any makeup on.”

“I prefer you just the way you are.” I slipped my watch on my wrist. “Your natural face is stunning.”

“You’re being extremely nice to me.”

“I can be nice.”

“You do realize you haven’t yelled at me or disapproved of anything I’ve done in two days.” She tapped her fingertips against one another. “How come?”

“Maybe you haven’t done anything to provoke me.”

“You’ve been taking such good care of me. I thought I would give you a break.”

“That was very generous of you.” Now that she had gotten some of her energy back, something told me our truce was about to end.

“I wish we didn’t have to leave.” She folded a black dress and placed it in the suitcase. “I like it here.”

“You were shot here.” I knotted my tie. “I would’ve thought you’d never want to come back.”

“I was almost shot in New York and I’m going back there.” She put a pair of shorts in the suitcase. “Do you avoid every place you’ve gotten shot?”

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