Page 53 of Vicious Vows

“There you are.” Marchello joined me in the sitting room. He carried a pretty box wrapped in shiny purple paper with a matching satin bow. “I had this delivered.”

“For me?” I met him in the center of the room as excitement bubbled inside me. “What is it?”

He had never given me a present before. He bought me beautiful clothes, shoes, and accessories but never anything that I had to open.

He sat on the sofa and patted for me to sit next to him.

I plopped down so close our bodies touched. The current from his skin transferred to my own, connecting us in ways I never thought we could be bonded.Did he feel it too?

“I think it’s about time I let you have one of these.” He handed me the box. “Don’t make me regret it.”

“That’s an interesting way to present a gift.” I lifted the lid from the box and smiled. “Oh.”

“Is it the right color?”

“A purple phone with a purple case. You remembered.” I took the coveted present from the package, admiring it like I had never seen one before, then slipped into his lap and hugged him. “Thank you.”

“Full disclosure,” he said. “I’m tracking you with that.”

“I didn’t expect anything less. Can I track you?”

“No.”

“Thank you for the phone.” I turned it on. “I can’t wait to set it up.”

“My tech guy retrieved all your information from your previous phone. It’s all on there.”

“How did he get my stuff?”

“Don’t ask.” He tucked my hair behind my ear. “Enjoy your new phone.”

“I can’t wait to call my mother.” I opened my text messages and frowned when I saw there weren’t that many.

There were a few from my mother and father when they couldn’t find me shortly after Marchello took me to the safe house, some from various retailers I had signed up with, and the occasional group messages from people from college wanting to get together for drinks. But there was nothing particularly specific to me. The last one was from Lorenzo when we were in Miami.

Talk aboutout of sight, out of mind. I didn’t have many friends, but I had been missing from socials for almost two months. No one thought to check on me?

“What’s wrong?” Marchello asked.

“Nothing.” I swiped out of the messages. “I really appreciate the phone.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I can’t wait to catch up on all the things I’ve been missing. Fashion, celebrity gossip, you know, all the important stuff.”

All the things I thought were important before I met Marchello. Looking back, what purpose did I have? Other than spending money and going to clubs with people who couldn’t bother to reach out when I disappeared.

“I have to go into the dealership tomorrow,” he said.

I figured he would have to leave eventually. He had been by my side since we returned from Florida. I appreciated the company, but he couldn’t hover forever.

“I’ll be fine here.” I held up my new phone. “I have this to keep me busy.”

Ricardo checked in on me every afternoon too, so I was sure he would be here to arrange lunch and dinner. Marchello seemed to tolerate him a few hours a day.

“I won’t give the guards any trouble, if that’s what you’re worried about. They don’t like me.”

“Why would you say that?” Marchello asked.

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