Page 35 of Possessive Vows

She is too gorgeous.

Serenity’s angry huff pulls my attention across the room.

“But his brother—”

“He isnothis brother. He’s here to stop him, and I want to help,” Camilla interjects.

The clock above the mantel ticks in the silence.

“How will you help,mia sorella?” Giorgio asks.

His tone holds no judgment or doubt, just worry.

“Feliks has been in hiding ever since Serenity shot him, right?” my woman says.

My respect for Camilla’s sister grows as I learn she was the one to put several bullets into my brother.

“I’ll be the bait that draws him out,” Camilla says.

Every muscle in my body stiffens. The other women exclaim in protest while the men’s scowls deepen.

“No, Camilla. You will not put yourself in danger,” I demand.

“Didn’t you already use me as bait today, though?” she accuses.

Every eye turns to me with murderous intent.

“No, I did not use you as bait,so´lnyshka. You weren’t the target today; I was,” I say.

She scoffs.

“Why wouldn’t he target me after that?”

“Because I stole what he thought was his,” I growl.

Camilla’s face goes ashen, and I regret using such blunt words, but she doesn’t pull away from me. She digs her nails into the back of my hand and sneers.

“You arenotgoing to hide me away like some damsel in distress. Ineedto help, and I’m the only one who can identify the men who attacked me.”

My mind races for ways to keep her out of harm’s way while I hunt my exiled brother.

“I will send you photos of everyone he works with—”

“No. Photos won’t work. They never took my blindfold off. I have to hear them to know,” she says.

My gut sours. I store the information at the front of my mind.

My woman will never suffer in the darkness again. I’ll ensure she always has a light to illuminate her path.

“I vowed to protect you,so´lnyshka. If I—”

“Then protect me,” she challenges.

The resolution in her dark brown eyes mesmerizes me. I test her by twisting my wrist. When she weaves her fingers into mine, I’m a goner.

She owns me.

The grief in my soul from losing Anastasia remains, but Camilla pulls me out of the pit of despair and offers me a future with light and joy.

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