Page 21 of Vicious Vows

I hate being treated like an object, but I’m starting to settle in to being his wife. It has its perks—like all of his servants listening to me. Some of his men listen to me too, but at least I know all their names now, and they take orders from me too, so long as my orders don’t conflict with Luke’s. And then there are the warm conversations between us when we lie in bed before we fall asleep.

Luke tells me about his day, though I’m positive he withholds some facts. I tell him about what I’ve done for him, and at least half the time, our nights end in sex before he holds me to sleep. I’m not in love with the man, though I could see myself getting there. I just hate that everything he does is criminal. I always thought I’d be with a good and kind man, someone my father approves of and whom my mother would be proud of.

Deciding I need a drink, I stand and pick up my phone from the table next to my keyboard where I laid it when I sent Will that text. If anyone knows where Will is and why he’s not responding, it’d be Nathan. So, while I head to the kitchen to scope out the fridge and find a soda or something, I call my brother. The first time, it goes straight to voicemail, but I know all he’s doing rightnow is sweeping the jewelry store or something boring like that. He’s the least adventurous person I know.

So, I call again and he answers.

“Hey, Micah, how are you? Are you okay?”

Every time I call Dad or Nathan, they instantly think it’s a tragedy and that I’m in danger. The reaction was sweet in the beginning, but after a month now, I’m sort of over it. I have to explain to them every single time we talk that this was my choice and that until I believe it’s safe to get out, I have to stay. What they don’t know is, the longer I stay here, the more I want to stay. Maybe it’s because Luke isn’t the big, bad, scary Mob boss I thought he was. He isn’t beating me or putting a gun to my head. He’s actually a decent man beneath the surface. Maybe my perception would be different, however, if I saw him at work. I know my father is still scared.

“I’m fine, Nate. How’s Dad?” I push open the swinging door that leads to the kitchen and my refreshments and head straight for the fridge.

“He’s good. Had a spill yesterday evening, but nothing’s broken. I bet his ass has a big bruise, though.” Nathan is a bit too nonchalant about our elderly father having a fall, but as long as Dad is okay, I’m okay.

“Did you go to the ER, get him checked?” I pull the fridge open and find a sparkling water. It hisses and pops as I open it and slurp a long drink from it as Nathan explains what happened.

“Yeah, he slipped on a puddle by the back door after the delivery. We closed the shop down and locked up and I drove him to the hospital. They did X-rays and nothing is broken, but they told him if he has pain in his hips to come back. He’s just lounging athome while I run things here for a day or so.” He sounds calm about being in charge of everything, which is totally unlike him, but I suppose he’s probably just playing down so I don’t worry.

“Fuck’s sake, that’s intense. I’m glad he didn’t break anything. Why didn’t he call me?” I perch on a bar stool and feel the chill of the metal seep through my shorts, new—courtesy of Luke and his insistence that I have a full wardrobe delivered. Most of it’s okay, but not quite my style.

“Didn’t want to stress you out. You have enough to deal with…” I hear rustling and wonder what Nathan is up to right now, but the reason for my call is more important.

“Hey, what about Will? Maybe he can help you out with the store while Dad’s recovering.” I sip the sparkling water and wait for Nate’s response. Typically, he’s the one to shy away from such responsibility, but maybe he’s had a change of heart since I’m not around. He knows Dad can’t do it alone, and I did so much for them that I can’t do now.

“Honestly, Micah, I don’t think he’s going to speak to me at all.” He sighs, and I feel my heart drop.

“Why not? I mean, he always helps with the books.” I bite my lip, wondering what could upset Will so much that he’s not coming around. I’d have thought he’d be worried, especially given the fact that I was snatched right off the street in front of him. We’re best friends.

“Well, he just stopped talking to us. He mentioned how worried he was at first, a few days after you vanished. When Dad told him you agreed to marry Mr. Santoro, Will was pretty freaked out.”

“What did he say?” I asked, now fully chewing my bottom lip. No way Will would desert me entirely. We were too close for that.I knew he didn’t like the idea of being around organized crime, but he wouldn’t just ditch me. He’d find a way to get me out—that was his nature.

“I don’t really know much. Dad was the one who talked to him. You’ll have to ask him. But he seemed pretty upset.”

I frowned, though no one could see me, and set my can of sparkling water on the stainless steel island. If this stupid ankle thing weren’t on my leg, I’d march right over to Will’s family home and demand answers of him. Or I’d show up at the university and make him talk to me. Maybe Luke would let me go visit him, but given how protective he seems over me lately, I doubt that too. I don’t dare just go. The cuff will sound, and Luke’s men will wrestle me back into the house, but maybe I could hack it and leave for just a few minutes.

“Thanks, Nate. I gotta run. Tell Dad I’m going to figure out how to fix all of this. I love you guys.” I hang up the phone without even waiting for a response. I’m too upset to even celebrate now.

If Will just ditched me like this, then he must be hurt, and not just scared of my new station in life. But how could I have hurt him? How could my marriage to Luke have done anything other than frighten him? Maybe I’m just stupid for thinking I could ever be happy here, and maybe Dad’s fears are right, after all. I stare at the ankle monitor and wonder if maybe I should leave before I get any more attached.

Regardless, it’s time for me to figure out a way to get to Will, even if it means actively deceiving Luke. He’s my best friend. I have to make things right.

16

LUKE

Everyone in the security office turns their head to take notice of Micah as she walks into the room. Her hair is braided, the long black rope dangling across her chest, secured by a rubber band. It dangles between her tits, partially on display in the ripped T-shirt she wears. I don’t remember buying her a torn T-shirt, but she has a very strange fashion sense. Her skirt looks torn too, and I know I didn’t buy any torn clothing.

Christopher gawks a little longer than he should as she approaches me with a smile. Vic, having escorted her here, backs out of the office, and Tony and Mark reassume their post by the door.

“Hey,” she says, strutting up to me. Her hands slide into the back pockets of the skirt as her eyes scan across the myriad of monitors. “What’s all this?”

I follow where her eyes lead, staring up at the monitors myself. Micah was supposed to have met me in my office so I can show her around the casino, but Christopher called me up here moments before she arrived to have a look at our card countersand what they’re up to today. I’m still irritated that nothing has changed and they are still up to their tricks despite every cent they steal having been stolen back from them.

“This is our security headquarters for the casino. Mr. Thomas is my head of security.” I gesture at Christopher, who nods at me then sits back down and continues his work at his computer. “And we’re observing a few men who think they can cheat at blackjack. They’re the ones you’re stealing our money back from.” I point them out on the monitor, and Micah looks where I indicate, but her eye is drawn downward after only a quick glance.

“Did you see that?” She walks toward one of the monitors near the far wall and hovers in front of it, staring. Her preoccupation with that camera is odd, but I ignore her. My focus is on the men at table seven who keep raking in the chips. It still boggles my mind that they haven’t given up their charade. I’ve taken every cent they’ve had transferred to their account and then some.

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