Page 37 of Vicious Vows

I wanted to believe that. His beautiful eyes were so convincing.

“Um, I think…”

He gazed at my bloodstained dress and moved my hand from my hip. The horror in his expression frightened me.

“Lissia. You were hit?” The color drained from his face, and everything changed in an instant.

We weren’t promised tomorrow. How could we be? Not in the shadows of risk and despair we lived in. Not with the people we were associated with.

We are doomed.

“Milo!” Marchello shouted as I closed my eyes and slumped forward.

NINE

Marchello

Fear.

This was the second time Lissia had made me deal with such an emotion. It was becoming a bad habit. One I didn’t care for.

“Where the fuck is that doctor?” I shouted as I held Lissia’s hand.

Milo and I had moved her to a private room once we were sure we were no longer under attack. Lorenzo had a doctor on staff who tended to these particular matters.

“Lorenzo went to get him,” Milo said. “Are you sure you don’t want to take her to the hospital?”

Of course I wanted to take her to the hospital, but if I did that, we would have to involve the police. And if the police got wind of this, I wouldn’t be able to take care of it my way.

“You know we can’t do that.”

Most of the people on the terrace were on Lorenzo’s payroll or associates of his. No one was going to breathe a word of what had happened up there tonight. That gunfire could have been meant for anyone, but I knew better.

“Keep pressure on that injury,” I said to Milo. “Is the bleeding slowing down at all?”

“It doesn’t look that bad.”

“You’re not the one who was shot.” I wiped Lissia’s sweaty brow with a cool washcloth.

“Not this time, but I’ve had enough experience that I could be a doctor.” Milo examined Lissia’s hip. “I think it grazed her. That’s why she’s so uncomfortable.”

“Or she could be in pain because the bullet shattered her hip.” I needed to get out there and find the bastard who did this.

“She’d be in a lot more pain if that happened.”

“She’s pretty tough.”

“Marchello,” Lissia moaned.

“Shh, baby.” I rubbed her arm. “Don’t talk.”

“I want to tell you…” She closed her eyes. “I…”

“You can tell me later.” I pressed my lips to hers. “The doctor will be here any second.”

“Fuck!” she cried out. “Sorry.”

“Under these circumstances, I’m going to let you express yourself any way you need to.”

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