Page 83 of Brutal Vows

“It probably makes me a bigger monster than you, but yes.”

I chuckle and murmur, “It doesn’t.”

Her expression turns skeptical.

I release her and check for signs of Livia rousing, but she’s still out cold. Loretta closes the cuff around her left wrist and drops her hand in her lap before reaching for her right wrist.

“Plus, I might not need to use violence again,” she says.

A suspicion creeps through me, but I need to hear her say it.

“What do you mean,gattina?” I ask.

“If you can get me some medical supplies, there’s a ratio that isn’t quite a truth serum but can lower her inhibitions while keeping her cognitive enough to—what?”

Her wide eyes search my face. I realize my expression may not be the most welcoming and laugh at myself.

“I’ve hated anesthesiologists since I was a kid. My first operation, a simple tonsillectomy, left me with permanent damage in the superficial nerves of my legs.”

She cocks her head and scowls.

“Is that why my heel jabs never affected you?”

I nod.

“That’s not a weakness,stronzo. That’s a hidden superpower.”

“I know that now, but as a boy, it was devastating,” I say.

She wraps her arms around my waist and presses her front against mine.

“I’m sorry, Ermanno. I would never—”

“I know,mia gattina. The morning I f—” my men shift in the hall, reminding me of our audience, so I choose a word other than fucked, “—found you in the laundry room, you had just called in and canceled your shift, hadn’t you?”

“Yes, but—”

“Because you knew you wouldn’t be able to focus solely on the patient. Right?”

She nods.

“I don’t hate anesthesiologists anymore. I can’t. You’re one, and from what I’ve seen and heard, you’re excellent. The best in the entire state of New York.”

“You did your research, didn’t you?” she huffs with annoyance, but the relief in her eyes destroys the effect.

“Not until after you told me your job,” I answer.

Her arms tighten around me. She drops her gaze to my chest. Yearning fills her eyes, but she leans back and glances at her sister.

“Are you sure you want to do this? You don’t have to. I can—”

“Your hands are going nowhere near her. She looks way too much like me,” she snarls.

I quirk a brow and enjoy the mix of jealous fury and her possessiveness over me.

“Loretta, I didn’t know you when I mistook you for Julieta. I dismissed a ton of warning signs, but now that you’re mine,” I tug her hips against mine, wrap my fist around her braid, pull her head back, and peer deep into her eyes, “I’ll never make the same mistake again. You’re the only one for me,gattina,” I vow.

Tears shimmer in her clear green orbs, but she grabs my nape and tugs me down for a kiss. I pull back before we give my men too much of a show.

---