Page 72 of Cruelest Vow

I stared out the window just as the sound in the engine shifted. We’d be on land soon.

“Where are we?” she said as she took my hand, hers shaking.

“We’re flying into Naples.”

“That’s awfully close to my father’s regime.”

“Don’t worry. We won’t be staying long.”

“Is this a surprise?” she asked, her eyes piercing mine, shimmering from continued fear as well as the spark of electricity that had yet to die down.

I pulled her hand to my lips, pressing them across her knuckles. “Perhaps.”

As we continued our descent, she refused to let go of my hand, her grip tightening. “There’s a chance we’ll be taken. Isn’t there?”

With what I was attempting to do, the odds were dicey at best. “There’s always a chance,leonessa.”

The landing gear dropped and she lifted the glass of champagne. “My life ended the day I thought you perished in the fire. Now that you’re here with me, no one can ever tear us apart. Not in life and certainly not in death. They might kill my body, but they’d never break my soul or steal my heart. Because all three have already been given to someone else.”

I cupped her chin as I’d done before, rubbing my thumb back and forth across her lips. “My sweetleonessa. This isn’t your fight. It’s mine. I’m not a good man. I’ve done some terrible things. By all rights, you should shove me away and if you want, I’ll take you somewhere safe, a location where you won’t be found by your brother, your father, or anyone from the DeLuca organization.”

“You might not be a good man, D’Artagnan, in the eyes of God, but you’re a good man for me, the only person I’ve ever wanted to share my bed and my life with.”

It was impossible not to feel an ache from loving her. She would be labeled my weakness, which would make the possibility of transitioning into the rule of Don more difficult. But I didn’t care. I’d fight the demons and slay every dragon that dared cross our paths. I wrapped my hand around her neck, pulling her close, pressing my lips against hers.

“Then you are forever mine, Lucia Lazarro. I can’t promise you a fairytale, but I will devote my life to making you happy. And I will keep the vow I made to you before. No one will ever touch you again.”

CHAPTER22

Lucia

Every girl likely dreamt of their wedding day, family gathered around to celebrate a joyous event. I’d learned early on that as a girl inside the Lazarro family, I was considered a commodity. Although as the years had gone by, my life my own, I’d been misguided enough to believe I would escape the gilded cage that I knew so many mafia princesses had been locked into.

The foolish thoughts had almost landed me in the arms of an enemy, someone I could never love. Thinking about what my father had done, selling me off to either the Romano family or even worse, to a member of Bratva, the realization of just how far he’d go to protect his power and wealth was almost overwhelming.

At least it would have been had I not been standing next to the man I’d always loved. My father had called my way of thinking a useless foray of imagination, forbidding me to read the books I wanted so as not to further my ridiculous beliefs. After D’Artagnan’s death, I’d hidden myself away in shadows and corners to escape the prison that had become my household.

I’d never lost hope, even when my rational mind had driven me to accept what couldn’t be undone.

I was nervous, turmoil keeping my stomach in knots. We were in a beautiful Catholic cathedral, one that seemed as old as the city of Sorrento itself. The stonework was intricate, the shimmering sun adding vibrance to the stained-glass windows, the colors and designs so bold they took my breath away.

There were no family, no friends to support and provide us with well wishes, the witnesses people I didn’t know. The only flowers were the ones in my hands, a bouquet purchased from a quaint street vendor after selecting the wedding rings.

No parties. No pomp and circumstance. No wedding cake or glorious pictures to share with our children and grandchildren. And there would be no honeymoon to a glorious destination kept secret until the last minute.

I’d grabbed a lovely dress from a local shop, the owner providing assistance in the few minutes I’d given myself to find something romantic and memorable. I wore no veil or crown of jewels, my curls neatly pinned in a haphazard bun piled on top of my head. I hadn’t walked down a carpet of velvet, flower girls tossing satin petals of roses to line my way.

There would be no first day, no celebration toast to a ballroom full of revelers. But as D’Artagnan took my hand into his and I looked into his eyes, none of that mattered.

As the priest performed the ceremony, I was barely listening, managing to say all the right words. I couldn’t think clearly, my heart fluttering like the tiny wings of a hummingbird. I was filled with such joy and happiness, something I’d convinced myself wasn’t possible. But even as my heart filled from feeling his love swallowing me whole, I knew deep inside the exhilaration could be short-lived.

The priest nodded, an indication of my needed vows. I couldn’t seem to find my voice for a few seconds, causing a look of concern in my soon to be husband’s eyes. It was difficult to think of him as anything but the vivacious young man who’d had a lust for life, planning on ruling the world with honor.

Yet there were no rose-colored glasses, no misunderstanding of who and what he’d become, which was everything I’d fought to leave. He was a killer, a man capable of heinous deeds, but in my eyes, he was my hero, soon to be my husband. I eased the flowers onto a small table that had been provided, allowing Dar to take my other hand into his.

“I, Lucia Maria Lazarro take you, D’Artagnan Nicolo DeLuca to be my husband. I promise to be faithful to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love you and to honor you all the days of my life.”

“And to obey?” D’Artagnan asked under his breath. Why did the question make me blush? When he smiled, it was as if the entire cathedral had been lit up with firecrackers.

---