Page 34 of Venomous Vows

For everyone to know that she’s mine and no one is going to change that fact.

“Marry her?” she repeats with caved brows. “You must mean someone else.”

“On the contrary, your sister and I go way back. You were just a child when I was around.”

“Then where have you been?”

“Runnin’ an empire,” I reply honestly, without using the wordmobthat will more than likely scare her off. “Do you want to come with me or find your own way home?”

Marcella eyes me for a moment before asking, “Where is she?”

“Working more than likely.”

That seems to appease Marcella because she relaxes a bit, alluding to the fact that she’s aware her sister is a workaholic.

And here I thought maybe it was because of me.

“C’mon,” I urge with a wave of my hand. “I have things to do and a clean-up I need to deal with.”

Marcella quickly glances around, but I’m a bit stunned that she doesn’t start screaming like a banshee when she sees the blood and dead men on the ground. She ambles toward me and I take a swift inventory of her to make sure she’s not injured.

“Do you need a doctor?” I ask and she shakes her head. “All right then. My men are going to take you to get cleaned up. I’ll bring your sister to you in a few days.”

“Is she all right?”

Depends on your definition.

“She’s fine,” I deadpan before pivoting to get to my car.

“What about my daddy?”

I freeze at her mention of him and I haven’t even begun to deal with it yet. The last thing I need is something happening to him in retaliation for what I did to this squad of misfits.

“As far as I know”—I glance over my shoulder to appease the worry in her voice—“fine. After you’ve seen your sister, I’m sure she’ll have you call him.”

She bows her head in acknowledgment and it’s then that I wish Marcella rubbed more off on her sister.

While she has a mouth, it quickly runs on empty.

Elena will go on for days.

“Take her to the safe house,” I tell one of my men as I stride toward my car. “I want a dozen men on her at all times. She doesn’t leave. If she wants to, call me.”

“Yes, sir.”

I’m not ready to tell my future wife yet.

She has some making up to do.

10

ADRIAN

“Marcella!”

What in theactualfuck?

I know exactly what my orders were the other day and bringing Elena’s sister tomyhouse wasn’t it. So why the fuck her name was just screamed in my foyer…I’m about to find out.

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