Page 9 of His Ruthless Vow

"So," Skye says, leaning forward, her amber eyes narrowed with that laser-focus intensity that's helped her build her boutique empire. "What's going on with you? You've been quiet and didn’t show yesterday. Didn't even respond to the group chat."

I wave my hand dismissively. "Nothing. Just swamped."

"Bullshit," Skye replies without missing a beat. "I've seen you swamped. This is something else."

Before I can formulate another deflection, Mikayla jumps in, either sensing my discomfort or genuinely excited to share her news.

"I finalized the pieces for my exhibition next month," she says, her eyes bright. "The gallery owner loved the new series."

"That's amazing," I say, grateful for the reprieve. "The ones with all the blues and golds?"

Mikayla nods enthusiastically. "Yes! He said they have a 'haunting quality' which I think is good? I mean, art-speak is so vague sometimes."

Jazz laughs, the sound rich and full. "In art-speak, 'haunting' is definitely a compliment. It means you made that man feel something, which is more than most of these pretentious gallery types can say."

"We're all coming to opening night," Maria adds, her voice warm with pride for our friend. "We’ll even make sure Luca will be there too."

At the mention of Luca, my mind immediately jumps to Enzo. His steel-gray eyes, cold and calculating. The way he stood too close in that alley, his presence overwhelming even in the open air. His offer hanging between us like a loaded gun.

"Kendra?" Skye's voice cuts through my thoughts. "Where'd you go just now?"

I blink, realizing I've been stirring my mimosa mindlessly, the tiny spoon clinking against the glass in a nervous rhythm. But the weight of my secrets are becoming too much and I’ve never hidden things from my friends before.

"Griffin's in trouble," I blurt out, surprising myself with the sudden confession. "Gambling debts. Big ones."

The table goes quiet. Jazz sets down her coffee cup with deliberate care.

"How big?" she asks, all business now.

"Seventy five thousand," I say, the number still making my stomach clench. "Plus interest. To one of the Mantiones."

Maria's eyes widen slightly. Even though she's family to them, she still understands the gravity of owing that kind of money to people like her cousin. Mikayla looks between us, worry etching across her sweet face.

"Jesus, Kendra. What's he going to do?" Jazz asks, ever practical.

"What am I going to do, you mean," I correct her. "I…might have stepped in when I saw him getting a ‘warning.’"

"And?" Skye presses, her gaze too sharp, too knowing. Like she can see right through me to the parts I'm not saying. To Enzo's voice in my head, offering a solution wrapped in silk and thorns.

"And I'll figure it out," I say firmly. "I always do."

What I don't say is that the plan involves putting myself directly into Enzo Rossi's orbit. That it means being at his call, at his mercy. That part of me is terrified by the prospect—and another part, a part I don't want to examine too closely, is thrilled by it.

Maria and Skye exchange a look across the table—one of those silent communications that tells me they're about to tag-team me. Maria tucks a curl behind her ear, her delicate gold earrings catching the light as she leans forward.

"Ken," she says, her voice dropping to ensure our conversation stays private despite the bustling brunch crowd, "Luca could wipe that debt with a single phone call. It wouldn't even be a favor—it would just be business."

I press my lips together. That had been my initial thought too—go to Skye, get her to ask Luca. Problem solved. Except...

"No," I say firmly, setting my mimosa down with more force than necessary. "Absolutely not."

Skye arches a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Why not? It's the easiest solution."

"Because he's the Don, Skye." I drop my voice even lower. "You think his men wouldn't notice if he started clearing debts because his wife's friend asked? It undermines everything." I can't fuck with his organization like that.

What I don't say is that Enzo wouldn't pose the same problem. He's the newest capo, already viewed with suspicion after his convenient defection from the Cappallettis. If he decided to handle Griffin's debt, nobody would connect it back to me. They'd just assume he was making power moves, building his own reputation separate from Luca's shadow. They'd respect it, even.

"Kendra," Skye leans in, her amber eyes intense in the sunlight streaming through the window, "Luca wouldn't blink. He'd consider it a business transaction, not a favor. Nobody would question it."

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