Page 69 of Brutal Vows

My brain short-circuits. I can’t lie.

“Beside you,” I whisper.

His smile melts my heart and overflows the seemingly bottomless black hole in my chest. When he wraps his arms around me from behind, I swallow my disbelief as he snaps open a large jewelry box.

A set of simple stud earrings, a delicate watch, a necklace, and a headband sit nestled in the velvet around a wedding ring. My stomach twists at the size of the diamond, but the elegant design and the smaller diamonds embedded in the band offset the staggering monstrosity.

He takes the engagement band out and sets the box on the vanity before unbinding my wrists and pulling my hands in front of me. I meet his gaze through the mirror as he slips the ring onto my finger. He lifts my hand over my shoulder and kisses my knuckles before slipping the necklace around my throat and closing the fastener. Goosebumps track over my nape. He bends down and gives my bare shoulder a quick kiss.

After closing the watch around my wrist, he weaves the headband into my braid. I blink at my reflection and wonder when I became so pretty. I’ve always thought my sister was gorgeous, but she never glowed the way my reflection does right now.

The world sparkles like the diamonds in my hair. Joy bubbles in my chest.

Ermanno steps around me and removes my earrings. I rarely think about them. My sister and I got our ears pierced together before my mother died, so anything beyond cleaning them became too much of a burden, but I couldn’t stomach the thought of taking them out and letting the holes close.

He drops the old earrings into the velvet box before leaning in close and pushing the new stud into my earlobe. My chest hitches.

He pauses with my ear still firmly in his grip.

When he leans back and quirks a brow, I instinctually rise to the challenge.

“Don’t destroy my hard work with a few tears.Capisci?”

I bite the tip of my tongue and glare at him. He fits the last earring into my other earlobe before skimming his hands down my shoulders and lifting my wrist wearing the watch.

“Each piece has a tracker in it. The watch, necklace, headband, and rings have emergency buttons.”

I shake my head. The only piece big enough for a tracking device is the diamond on the wedding ring, but it’s too perfect to have something hidden in it.

He lifts my wrist higher and points at part of the design etched into the band nearest the face of the watch, then does the same for my necklace and taps a spot on my headband.

“Now I’ll find you no matter where you run,” he says.

I clear my throat before meeting his gaze.

“And yours?” I demand.

He tucks a finger under my chin.

“I think you’re confused,gattina. I don’t need—”

“But I do. I need to know where you are, so where’re your hidden trackers?”

“That’s not how this works,” he snarls.

“Why not?” I snarl right back.

He sighs, stalks over to his discarded suit coat, pulls a second, smaller jewelry box from his pocket, and strides back to my side. I snatch it from his hand and pop it open. A masculine watch, cufflinks, and wedding band gleam in the light.

“Is there an app I need on my phone?” I ask.

He frames my face and demands my attention.

“I’ll set it up for you, but I swear you’ll never need to use it.Capisci?” he promises.

Most of me believes him, but a tiny sliver remains skeptical.

Until he leads me into a small banquet hall and reveals our guests. His father stands tall and proud beside Dante Russo and the rest of the Russo family. Even Serenity stands in a pretty, flowy dress with her massive baby belly protruding in front of her. Scraps whines and leans against Bella’s leg. Natalie smiles and offers me a bouquet.

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