Page 94 of Poison Vows

“Yes, and around the residence we have sixty-five of the toughest men ready for anything,” Emilio says confidently. “My son will be in command of the entire Outfit after this. I want to see who dares to challenge him.”

Senator Hughes laughs happily, as does Emilio.

“This is basically assured then,” Senator Hughes says.

“Of course! Or else Father would not have allowed this dinner tonight. He also knows it’s over.”

Another powerful, bone-crushing chill goes down my spine.

From the corner of my eye, I notice Vaughn is watching me, so I look back at him.

I understand then that Vaughn wanted me to hear that.

“Is there something going on?” I ask him directly.

Vaughn looks at me with a strange light in his eyes.

“You’ll be pleased to know that I now have the power to make sure he pays for what he did to you.”

Every organ, vein, artery, and blood cell in my body screeches to a halt.

“What?” I ask softly, forcing my voice to keep all emotion out of it.

“My cousin fucked up.” Vaughn smirks, his eyes glinting with mirth. “Even though Grandfather suspects that something is wrong with him, no one can find out what exactly it is, so for thelast five years, I’ve had to find other ways to weaken his power, and I finally succeeded.”

“Is this some type of Mafia lingo again?” I ask with a forced smile, but inside, my heart has dropped to my stomach. Something did happen to Emmett. “Weakening his power? What does that mean? Is he now just a nobody now?”

Vaughn chuckles.

“You’re a fast learner,” he says with a smile. “Yes, my cousin no longer has the power he used to have. Before, he could order even Grandfather’s Capo to act, but now after his father betrayed the Family, an act that is unforgivable, by the way, I found out that Emmett had been protecting Syrus and together they had been selling out this Family. In the end, I made sure Grandfather found out and he demoted him.”

Oh no!

Is that why I can’t reach Emmett? Is he being held somewhere against his will? Are they torturing him?

Before I can ask Vaughn, he turns away and starts talking to his father and Senator Hughes.

With the way they’re conversing, they obviously get along… and that makes me feel a stifling flame in the middle of my chest.

“Have we met before?”

I swivel around and come face to face with one of Vaughn’s uncles.

Although he seems to be smiling kindly, his sharp gaze is narrowed on me, as if studying me.

“Uh, we did. Not more than two minutes ago,” I saw awkwardly, but my hackles are raised.

“I’m not sure,” Giovanni muses, still with that creepy smile. “I have this feeling like I know you.”

I have no idea what to say to that, and worse off, I’m standing there like a loon.

“Where are you from?” he suddenly asks.

I grow so still, I can barely blink.

It’s a simple enough question but the moment Giovanni asks it, my entire body grows numb out of nowhere.

In the distance, I can hear muffled sounds.

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