Page 76 of Vicious Vows

Ricardo kept a close eye on me and kept me occupied so I couldn’t do anything that I would regret later. Marchello should be thanking him.

“Don’t insult me,” I said. “You don’t know how I feel about anything.”

“I asked you to drop this.”

“What if I can’t? What else are you hiding from me? How can I lie beside you every night and not know what’s going through your dark, troubled mind?”

“Don’t make this about me,” he said, raising his voice. “This is all you and how you can’t take no for an answer. I’ve given you plenty of allowances. You need to accept there are some things that I won’t tell you. That I can’t tell you.”

“A few hours wasn’t enough time,” I said. “I want you to leave.”

He pressed his lips together as the hold he had on my arm stiffened. “This is my house, princess. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Then I’ll leave.”

“Over my dead body.”

SEVENTEEN

Marchello

I was so farinto this relationship and too tangled up in our chaos that I would go insane without Lissia. If I lost her, I would sink into the deepest, harrowing depths of hell.

And I would take her with me.

My relentless hold on Lissia’s arm didn’t warn her to read the room.

“Let go.” She banged her fist against my chest.

“I warned you not to provoke me.” I heaved her intoxicated body to the back staircase. In her disheveled navy dress, she stumbled up the steps as her bare feet tried to keep pace with me.

“What are you doing?” She hit my shoulder.

“What I should have done a long time ago.” I shoved her into the bedroom and slammed the door behind me. “I knew you were trouble, but I was arrogant enough to think that I could manage you and still keep my head in the game.”

“I don’t need to be managed.” She straightened her dress. “Thank you very much.”

“You want your space?”

“Ah, why?”

Now that I called her bluff, she wasn’t as confident as she was a few minutes ago.

“I won’t leave the penthouse, but I will leave the bedroom.” I ran my hand through my hair. “I’ll leave you alone tonight, then tomorrow, when you’re not full of champagne, we’ll figure this out.”

“There’s nothing to figure out.” Lissia sat on the edge of the bed. “All you have to do is admit you were wrong and apologize.”

“Right.” I laughed. “Except, I’m not wrong.”

“I got shot because of you,” she said. “Doesn’t that make you feel bad?”

“You got shot because your father ordered a hit on me and my brother.” I held up my hand. “I’m not doing this. You’re not going to see things my way, and I’m too drained to explain.”

“You won’t explain anything.” She sprang from the bed and swayed toward me. “That’s the fucking problem.”

“Watch it.”

“No, you have to start treating me like an equal and accept that I’m worthy to stand with you and not behind you.” She put her hand on her hip. “If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t be working with Lorenzo. I did that.”

---