Page 102 of Vicious Vows

“Finally, you’re making sense.”

“I need you to stay out of my business.” Gripping her arm, I guided her out of the closet and forced her to sit on the bed. “You can help me by being here when I need you. I want you in my bed and in my arms, calming me when it all gets to be too much.”

“I’ll do all of that, but I want to do more.”

“I don’t want you to go to your father or interfere in my work.”

“It’s too late,” she said. “Can’t you see we are so far into this that we have to come up with a plan? Whether you like it or not, my dad can help us.”

“No, he can’t.” There was nothing Gian would do for me that wouldn’t end up costing me everything in the end. I stood directly in front of her, bracing myself for an answer I was certain I wouldn’t like. “What did you offer him?”

“Nothing.” She bit her thumbnail. “But he did ask for something.”

“What does he want?”

“Me.”

“You?” A second ago I pondered giving her back, but hearing her say that her father asked for her return changed my thought process.

Would she leave me because she thought it would help me?

“He called yesterday and said he had information that could be useful to you.”

“He obtained information in less than twenty-four hours, and you believed him?” I shook my head. “I don’t have time for this.”

“I think we should hear him out.”

“Do you?”

“He could have something.” She got up on her knees and clasped my hand. “The idea of getting me to come home may have motivated him.”

Could she really be this naive? How could she trust her father after everything he had done?

“So, what? You’re going to offer yourself to him in exchange for this so-called information? Then what? Marry the arms dealer? Maybe your dad will send Danny to deliver the information and retrieve you. Sound familiar?”

“I get why you’re skeptical,” she said.

“Why aren’t you?”

“Because if there is the slightest chance I can make things right for you and your family, I’ll do it.”

Rage bubbled inside me with each breath I drew from my tired chest. My head pounded, and my body ached. Physically and emotionally, I didn’t have much left. I couldn’t deal with her now.

The longer I stayed in this room, the better the chances were that I would explode and take her with me, creating damage that we wouldn’t be able to come back from.

“Marchello.” She traced her fingers over my smoking gun tattoo, following the outline meticulously.

“I should warn you that I’m seconds away from losing it. You went to your father with vital information—details that could put my father in grave danger. I could consider that a betrayal.”

“I didn’t betray you.” She squeezed my hand. “I could never do that.”

“Choose your words wisely.”

“What if what I’ve done can bring him home? Isn’t that what you want?”

“You are asking me to choose between you and my father.”

If Gian had the information she thought he did, in order to bring my father home, I would have to sacrifice her.

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