Page 35 of Savage Union
"I will. But I swear if you don't get out of there soon—" I see Dante approaching from across the room, spinning his keys around his finger. I turn away, lowering my voice.
"I'm working on it," I whisper. We both fall into a silence that's too heavy for words. Finally, she speaks again.
"Just find a way to leave wherever you are. He is dangerous. I overheard something about the Irish looking for you. They're angry, Rina. What did you do?"
My heart stops. If Sofia has heard rumors, it's only a matter of time before they reach Vito. "Don't worry about me. Just stay safe and take care of Mamma. I have to go."
"Okay. I love you, sis."
"I love you too."
The call ends, and I lean against the window, feeling the cool glass against my forehead. I'm caught in an impossible situation—trapped between two dangerous men, with my family's safety hanging in the balance.
Vito confuses me in a way I hadn't expected. Last night, he was all cold authority and dominance, threatening me with crude promises if I didn't obey. Yet this morning, he gives me a connection to my family—the one thing I desperately needed. Why? What game is he playing?
I've seen the darkness in him, the calculated control with which he runs his world. But I've also glimpsed something else—moments where something almost human flickers behind those dark eyes before vanishing like smoke. It makes me wonder what lies beneath his carefully maintained facade.
This line of thinking is dangerous. If I start seeing Vito as anything more than my captor—if I acknowledge the strange pull I feel toward him despite everything—I risk losing myself in a game I can't win. I can't afford to feel anything for the man who murdered my father and forced me into this sham marriage.
Especially not with Liam Costello waiting in the wings, expecting me to honor a promise I made in desperation. The Irish don't forgive betrayal. If Liam thinks I chose Vito over him... the consequences would be devastating.
I'm trapped in a web partly of my own making. If Vito discovers what I've done, any kindness he's shown will evaporate instantly. And if Liam decides to make his move against Vito to claim what he believes is rightfully his...
This war will be bloody, and I'll be at the center of it.
I push away from the window, clutching the phone. I need to figure out a way to navigate this minefield before everything explodes around me. My family's safety depends on it.
God help me. I don't know if I'm ready for what comes next.
CHAPTER 11
Vito
The windowsof my downtown office provide a perfect view of the city I control. I stand with my back to Marco, watching rain streak the glass, distorting the Manhattan skyline. Today's weather matches my mood—dark, turbulent, and showing no signs of clearing.
"The Irish are getting bolder," Marco says from his position at the conference table, spreading photos across the polished surface. "Three of our distribution points hit in the last week. They're testing boundaries."
I turn, studying the images—bullet-riddled storefronts, bloodstained concrete, shell casings marked with evidence tags. "Liam Costello lacks his father's restraint."
"And his caution," Marco adds, his green eyes narrowing. "Old man Mickey would never have made moves this obvious."
"He's trying to provoke us." I pick up one of the photos—a wall spray-painted with a crude shamrock over our family crest. "I want to know why."
"Could be opportunistic. Your attention's been... divided lately." Marco's tone is carefully neutral, but I catch the implication.
I meet his gaze. "My engagement isn't affecting business."
His lips twitch. "I didn't mention your engagement."
I return to the window, silently conceding his point. Caterina Gallo has been consuming more of my thoughts than I care to admit. The enforced proximity, sleeping in the same bed, has only intensified whatever this pull is between us. Last night was the fourth night she slept beside me, rigid as a corpse, her breathing giving away her wakefulness long after she pretended to sleep.
"How is it going?" Marco asks, breaking into my thoughts. "The engagement."
"Fine."
He exhales a laugh. "That good, huh?"
I turn back to him, abandoning the pretense. "Not well. She's still fighting every step."
