Page 46 of His Ruthless Vow

I take a turn that clearly isn't toward her apartment, and I catch the slight shift in her posture from the corner of my eye.

"We're going to your place?" she asks, voice carefully neutral.

I nod once, not trusting myself to speak. Not now, when everything inside me feels too raw, too exposed. The truth is, I don't know why I'm taking her to my home instead of dropping her off at hers. All I know is that I'm not ready to let her go yet.

She watches me, those clever eyes picking apart my silence, my grip on the steering wheel, the muscle working in my jaw. I can practically hear the gears turning in her head as she tries to decode what this means. What I mean.

I keep my eyes fixed on the road because looking at her means acknowledging the question hanging between us. And the problem isn't that I don't have an answer—it's that I do, and it scares the shit out of me.

When we pull up to my building, she follows me up without a word. At my door, I punch in the security code, feeling her presence behind me, warm and real and increasingly difficult to keep at arm's length.

The moment the door swings open, chaos erupts. A flash of golden fur barrels toward us at full speed, followed by the distinctive click of nails on hardwood. Paige—seventy pounds of pure enthusiasm with zero awareness of her own size—launches herself at Kendra, front paws up and tail whipping with excitement.

"Jesus!" Kendra laughs, stumbling back as the dog nearly knocks her off her feet. The sound catches me off guard—genuine, unguarded, nothing like the calculated responses she usually gives.

She drops into a crouch, letting Paige shower her face with affection while those nimble fingers scratch behind golden ears. Penny approaches with more caution, keeping a respectful distance until Kendra extends her hand. After a careful sniff, Penny presses her head against Kendra's palm, seeking affection but still keeping those watchful eyes on me.

"Hi there, pretty girl," Kendra murmurs, her voice softening in a way I've never heard before. "Missed me?"

Something shifts in my chest at the sight—Kendra Washington, who has never backed down from anyone, melting over my dogs. Her professional mask is gone, replaced by something genuine and unguarded. It's unsettling how much I want to see more of this side of her.

"Come on." I head toward the kitchen, needing a moment to collect myself. "You want a drink?"

She follows, Paige trotting happily at her heels while Penny shadows them both. I pull down two glasses, reaching for the bourbon I save for occasions that matter. When I turn, she's watching me with that same intensity from the car, only now there's something else mixed in—curiosity, maybe. Or something deeper.

I pour us each two fingers, sliding her glass across the counter. She takes it, our fingers brushing briefly.

"So, what now?" she asks, the lightness in her voice not quite masking the weight of the question. We both know what she's really asking.

I lean against the counter, swirling the amber liquid in my glass. For once, I don't have a strategy, a calculated response designed to maintain control.

"You tell me," I say finally, watching her over the rim of my glass as I take a slow sip. The bourbon burns pleasantly down my throat, a welcome distraction from the intensity of her gaze.

She considers me for a long moment, those dark eyes unreadable. Then, unexpectedly, she smiles—not the sharp, predatory smile I'm used to, but something softer.

"Were you always with the Cappallettis?" she asks, and it's not at all what I expected. But she’s been asking more questions, ones that she shouldn’t.

I find myself answering before I can think better of it. "Born into it. My father worked for Giovanni. It was expected."

"And you left."

It's not a question, but I answer anyway. "The Cappallettis talk about loyalty like it's sacred, but it only goes one way. Alfonso made sure of that."

"What happened?" She leans against the counter, mirroring my stance.

I hesitate, weighing how much to reveal. "I was on track to be a capo. Alfonso saw me as a threat to his son's position. Started working against me."

Her eyes never leave mine. "So you flipped."

"I made a business decision." I take another sip, the memory still bitter despite the years between then and now. "Luca offered me something better."

She nods, processing. "Your family stayed with the Cappallettis."

"Family isn't always blood." My voice hardens slightly. "My brother made his choice. I made mine. You can see from my nephew how they feel about it."

We migrate to the living room, glasses in hand. Penny, to my surprise, settles beside Kendra on the couch, her head resting cautiously on Kendra's thigh. Paige collapses at my feet with a dramatic sigh, exhausted from her burst of excitement.

"What about you?" I ask, letting myself relax into the cushions. "Always planned on corporate domination?"

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