Page 76 of Brutal Vows

“And she died because you answered the door?”

“Yes. For cops. My father said to never let them in, but the kids at school laughed at me and the teacher scolded me for not paying attention in class, so I opened the door like an idiot and—”

My voice stops working. I close my mouth and swallow.

“Then what happened?” Ermanno prods.

“I led them to the kitchen where my mom was washing dishes. One pulled his gun. My mom jumped in front of me and fell on me, and when I woke up, they were gone. She was bleeding. The sink was overflowing. I screamed, but she wouldn’t wake up and I couldn’t get her off me and—”

Thick fingers encircle my throat and compress my jugular, snapping me out of my mental spiral. I meet Ermanno’s slate-grey eyes and tremble from his intensity.

“It wasn’t your fault,gattina.”

I shake my head. He squeezes my throat.

“Did you pull the trigger?” he demands.

“What? No, but—”

“Well, I have. Many times. To countlessstronzos, even though I knew they had family. Why?” He pulls my face closer to his. “To protectmia famiglia.” He flicks his tongue over my bottom lip before nipping the tip of my nose and stopping my heart with the intensity of his gaze.

“You didn’t pull the trigger, Loretta. You’re not at fault. Your mother and my father died in the most honorable way; they protected someone they loved.”

The band around my heart loosens. I inhale until my ribs ache.

“No one blames you, Loretta.”

A half-sob, half-scoff escapes me.

“Yes they do. My entire family blames me,” I cry.

“Fuck those ungratefulbastardos.”

I startle at the derision in his tone. The fire in his eyes lights a spark deep within the black hole trapped behind my sternum. “Your chosen family doesn’t blame you.” He digs his fingertips into my jugular and tightens his arm around my back as he speaks. “Me, Dante, Nico. Kara, Serenity, Natalie, Bella. None of us blame you.” His breath ghosts over my lips. “Hell, Scraps was there and he doesn’t blame you either.”

I search his eyes and let his words sink into my psyche as the flames he ignited overtake the black hole in my chest.

“I’m not a curse?”

“Mio Dio, no.You’re the greatest blessing I’ve ever received.”

I eye him skeptically.

He smirks.

“You don’t believe me? Why don’t you kiss me and see how much I long to worship you?”

“What if I bite you instead?”

The need to test him pulls the challenge from me without my permission.

“Use me however you need,gattina.”

His immediate response soothes me to the core and opens the floodgates of my arousal. I close the distance between our lips and kiss him with every ounce of desperation in my body.

He hums in delight before taking over, and I’m beyond ready for him when he finally sinks two fingers into my pussy. I moan and drop my head back against the wall.

“Mia gattina,” he growls against my throat.

---