Page 31 of Devious Vows

I don’t know how long I stand there, waiting to make sure the coast is clear, but another roll of thunder sounds in the sky, forcing me into action. My heart thumps with confusion as I come up to the conservatory. I can see that Beverly is inside, sitting in the almost completely dark room, hands braiding her long hair over her shoulder. I knock on the glass door and she startles, her eyes softening once she sees it’s me.

Coming inside, I remove my hood, shaking off my wet coat. “Sorry I’m later than we planned.” She smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “I messaged.”

Letting her hair go, she tosses the braid over her shoulder, her arms crossing over her stomach. “Did you? I haven’t looked at my phone in a while, I think I left it in the house.”

Moving closer, I eye her.Something doesn’t feel right.One of the things I love most about Beverly is that she’s always been easy to talk to, easy to be around. Something is off about her tonight. I pause at the armchair next to hers. “You don’t mind, do you? We can get together tomorrow instead?”

Her head shakes, dark curls that have already fallen loose from the braid brushing along her cheeks with the action. “No. No, you’re fine.” I slowly sit in my seat, her lips faking another smile. “How was your trip?”

This close to her, I can see her lips are swollen, and I remember Remy leaving. My gut twists. “Yeah, it was good, I guess. About as fun as any work-related trip can be.” She nods, her hands rubbing along her arms. “I did steal an hour to go to the aquarium, you would have loved it. They had those fish that kiss, what are they called?”

“Oh, gourami!” she says, a real smile finally parting her freckled cheeks.

Chuckling, I nod, “Yeah, those. They had a big tank of them that made me think of you.”

Her hands run over her arms again, gooseflesh pebbling her flesh. “I love those. They’re so cute.”

“Are you cold?” She shrugs, but I’m already reaching for the blanket on the floor to hand to her.

“Wait, no!”

Her yell makes me drop it, my frown going from the panicked look on her face to the blanket that’s now unfolded on the floor, bright red streaks of red covering the entire inside. My nostrils flare, teeth biting my tongue as I try to contain enough composure to speak.

That fucking bastard.

“It’s not what you think, Gavino.” Her voice is soft, her swallow audible. “It’s embarrassing, really—”

“I saw Remy leaving, Bev,” I cut her off, my heart squeezing over the fact that she was going to lie to me.We used to be so much closer, her and I.Before Remy decided he liked her. My eyes drop back to the blood, my throat growing thick with hatred for my brother. As if it wasn’t bad enough knowing I could never have Beverly, I have to witness this too.

“Are you going to tell?” Her voice is but a whisper, throat clogged with tears she’s fighting not to let fall.

My eyes fall over her features, watch a stray tear roll down her cheek. Despite the anger rolling beneath my skin, making me feel like vomiting, I reach forward, my thumb swiping the wetness from her skin. She swallows, waiting for me to speak. “Why’d you let him do that, Bev? Youknowthe rules.”

She pushes away from me, the action breaking my heart a little more. “I know you have a duty to the Famiglia, if you need to tell them…” She bends, grabbing the corner of the blanket to fold it in half, covering the blood back up. “Then do it,” she finishes, her glassy eyes finding mine.

My hands shake and I hide it by running them through my hair.

She takes my silence as an answer, standing from her chair to walk to the door. Pushing it open, a gust of wind blows in, rain splattering on the floor. “Please leave, Gavino.”

Standing from my seat, I make my way over to her, my heart breaking a little more with each step. No matter how much I want to tell my father about Remy’s indiscretions, I know it’ll cause me to lose Beverly.

And I can’t.

I can’t lose her yet. Not yet. Not like this.

Remy will pay for this.

Grabbing my coat from her fingers, I hold her gaze. “I won’t tell, Bev.” Her lips part and I swallow. “Your secret is safe with me.”

She’s on me in the next heartbeat, her arms wrapping around my waist with a billow of lavender wafting from her skin. Taking a deep breath, I breathe her in, allowing myself to hug her back. My jaw clenches as she lets out a cry of relief, one of her hands rising to wipe the tear away. “Thank you, Gavino.”

Swallowing, I hug her tighter, savoring the seconds before I have to release her. “Anything for you.”

Chapter Thirteen

I’ve worked up a sweat by the time I hear the door creak open, throwing a few more jabs into the swinging punching bag before speaking over my shoulder, “Took you long enough. What were you doing?” I lift my leg at the silence with a shin kick to the bag, my back still to the door. I know Julian is in the room, I can hear his footsteps softly tapping against the floor behind me. “Doesn’t even matter. I’m going to kick your ass anyway.”

“Bold statement,cuore mio. I’m not sure you can.” His voice drips over my skin, a soft gravel that snakes up my spine.

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