Page 54 of Bloody Vows
"Even if what you're suggesting were possible," I say carefully, "it would be incredibly dangerous. Tristan has allies, people who would ask questions."
"Konstantin only cares about stability. If the transition is smooth, if there's no disruption to business, he won't interfere. And the Irish… they're not invested in Miami the way we are. Without Tristan, they'll withdraw, focus on their own territory."
“The Irishis Tristan’s father. His brother. They’re the only Irish power in Boston. They’ll care what happened.”
“We’ll frame it well enough that someone else takes the fall. The trail will lead to someone they can get their revenge on, and that will be enough. Case closed.” Enzo wipes his palms together.
My stomach tightens. So there will be more blood than just Tristan’s. Someone innocent—or innocent of his murder, at least—who will die, probably horribly, to give the O’Malleys the revenge they’ll crave without it coming back on Enzo and me. The thought makes my insides churn.
But that’s the world I live in, isn’t it? Violent and bloody and terrible. If I want to be treated as more than just a fragile princess, I have to be tougher than this.
Don’t I?
I wasn’t raised to be tough. I was raised to let someone else do the hard things, while I focused on looking beautiful and behaving elegantly. But where has that gotten me?
Married to a man I hate, who has usurped everything that once belonged to me. Even my own self.
I take a deep breath. "You've thought this through."Am I really going to say yes to this?I don’t know the answer to that. But I do know that I’m not ready to walk away from this yet. Not when Enzo is dangling the possibility of freedom in front of me.
"I've thought about little else since I heard you’d gotten married." His hand covers mine again, and this time I don't pull away. "I know I should have spoken up.Beforethe Irishman claimed you. But as you said… Konstantin likely wouldn’t have allowed it. I needed to bide my time. Find… allies.”
“Allies?” I raise an eyebrow, and Enzo’s hand tightens around mine. This time I do pull it back; I can’t risk any of Tristan’s men seeing, even though I told them to stay outside. “Who are your allies?”
“We can talk about that later, Simone. What I need to know is if you’re on board with this. If you’re willing… if this is what you want.”
I press my lips together. "I never wanted any of this."
"I know. And that's why we can fix it. Together."
Enzo’s voice is eager. Sure of himself. But my father was sure of himself too, and now he’s dead, buried six feet under while I pick up the pieces of the life that I thought was safe and secure.
Enzo was my father’s choice. If I want to set things back to the way they were before, then going along with Enzo’s plans is the way to do it. I stare down at my plate, my mind racing. Enzo is offering me everything I thought I wanted—freedom from Tristan's domination, a chance to reclaim my life, a marriage based on respect rather than possession and passion. What I wassupposedto have.
But at the same time…
There’s a tug in my chest, a feeling of loyalty that is, I think, entirely misplaced. I have no reason to feel loyal to Tristan, other than the fact that he is my husband on paper, according to the law. He’s done nothing toearnmy loyalty.
Other than protect you from Konstantin,a small voice whispers. But did he? If I’d refused him, I think he would have let Konstantin kill me, and then taken everything I had anyway. He wants me to be grateful for my life, but I don’t think any of what happened was predicated on any concern that he had for me.
"How would you do it?" I hear myself asking.
Enzo smiles, clearly pleased that I’m still continuing on down this conversational path. "There are several options. The simplest would be to stage a kidnapping—take you from the house, make it look like an outside threat. When Tristan comes to rescue you, as he inevitably will, he walks into a trap. Clean, simple, and it makes you look like a victim rather than a conspirator."
"And you're certain this would work?"
Enzo smiles, all teeth. "I'm certain that an Irishman has no business ruling Italian territory. Your father built an empire, Simone. It shouldn't be handed over to some outsider just because he was convenient for Konstantin's plans."
The plan feels too simple. I’m sure, if I thought about it long enough, I could find plenty of holes in it. I’m sure there are a hundred ways for it to go wrong. But is it my duty to find those holes? To figure everything out for the men who I’ve been told all my life are meant to be the protectors and decision-makers?
Tristan certainly wants me to sit back and let him make all the choices for us both. Why shouldn’t I trust Enzo, who was meant to be my husband from the beginning?
Deep down, some part of me can’t help but feel that it’s wrong to be conspiring against Tristan this way. But I don’t know how I can spend my whole life in a marriage like this. I was prepared for a marriage of convenience, for coolness and mutual respect and rules that suited me and my groom, not… whatever this wild, passionate thing between Tristan and me is. Not feelings that confuse me and make me crave him at the same time that I hate him.
I’m not attracted to Enzo. I have no desire to go to bed with him. The thought of him touching me honestly makes my skin crawl… but that feels easier than what Tristan makes me feel. Simpler, to just close my eyes and go somewhere far away for whatever brief amount of time Enzo needs in my bed, instead of what Tristan demands of me.
Enzo will want my cooperation in providing an heir. He’ll fuck me, but he won’t try to claim me. Tristan demands nothing less than my absolute surrender. He wants my submission, my pleasure, mylust… and the loss of control that comes with that terrifies me.
"I need time to think about this," I say finally.
