Page 80 of Vicious Vows

“Okay.” She closed her eyes. “Say hello to Milo.”

I switched off the light and closed the door, confident she would be asleep before I reached the bottom of the stairs. Champagne, my belt, and sex was enough for one day.

Milo sat in the study, sipping a glass of vodka as he scrolled through his phone.

“Am I interrupting?” he asked as he glanced at my shirtless body. “Can I assume that you and the princess aren’t fighting?”

“I don’t think I’d call it fighting.” I went to the desk and poured myself a drink. “I’m not really sure what it is we’re doing.”

“Good luck with that.”

“I’m ready to proceed.” I stared up at the ceiling, letting the complexity of my current situation sink in. “I want to get this done.”

“Our guys can take out the security cameras on the Gallanti estate. Once we decide when, we will have a very small window to get the job done.”

“It won’t be a problem.”

“Are you sure you want to be the one to do this?” He set his phone down on the coffee table. “Killing her father? That’s pretty big.”

“That bastard ordered a hit on us and hurt Lissia while trying to do it.” I tightened my fingers around my glass. “He’s a threat we don’t need.”

“That’s not what I asked,” Milo said.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

“I have to be the one to do it.” I chugged my drink. “Even if she never forgives me.”

EIGHTEEN

Lissia

Climbingdown a fire escape to elude the guards and calling a rideshare to take me to New Jersey probably wasn’t my best idea, but it wasn’t my worst either.

Standing on my father’s porch and trying to perfect my argument as to why he should cease this war with the man I loved might not even be a bad idea.

But doing all of this behind Marchello’s back… Well, that ranked number one as my absolute worst plan ever, especially if my efforts backfired. You would think my sore and welted ass might have stopped me.

It didn’t.

My father opened the door before I could knock. He stood before me dressed in his tailored suit and shiny black shoes. The quintessential gangster with a designer tie and fancy watch. I knew too many of those these days.

“This is a surprise,” he said.

“Where are the guards?” I glanced around the porch. “It’s quiet here today.”

“There was an issue on the docks. I had to send several of my team to assist.”

“You’re here alone?”

“Are you worried about me?”

I didn’t answer.

“I’m not alone.” He stepped into the foyer, motioning for me to come inside. “I could ask the same about you. Does the man you claim to love allow you to walk the streets without protection?”

“Marchello doesn’t know I’m here.” I hated to admit that.

“Trouble in paradise?”

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