Page 115 of Deadly Vows

Luca nods. “Not entirely. She just gave them the push they’ve been waiting for. There are certain people in this world who don’t like seeing people like us rise through the ranks. It makes them uneasy,” he says, focusing his attention on the road. “Watching the chaos brought on by my father’s death was enough to make us a target. And with the money they took from under the table, it is all they needed as an excuse to act. They think we’re weak. But I will show them we are anything but.”

Silence encompasses us as I watch Luca. His expression is determined as he speaks. His knuckles are white from the grip he has on the steering wheel. And even though he’s just relayed the most terrifying news, he seems calm in the face of it.

I guess this is what he has been trained for his entire life. Even though he was pushed into the role early, his father ensured from a very young age that he would be ready for anything threatening the family. This included.

“I’m sorry for everything my family has caused,” I say. “None of this would have happened if—”

“Don’t. I never would have gotten to marry you if none of this had happened. I don’t regret it, Elise,” he says.

I slowly nod.

“So where are we going?” I ask, eager to change the subject.

“A cottage I bought a few years back. No one knows about this place. Not even Nicolai or Romelo,” he says.

I look at him in confusion. Throughout our entire marriage, Luca has shown that he is a flashy person by nature. A cottage seems out of character even for him.

He notices my expression, laughing.

“When I was a kid, my mother brought me out here to get away. My father was in town for business, and she decided she wanted to get away for a bit. So she put me in the car, and we went riding. We got lost in this foreign country, but happened upon this cottage. It was so beautiful, surrounded by the perfect scenery. It became our spot while we were in this country—our little secret. Not even my father knew about it,” Luca says, his smile growing.

“But with her being the wife of a man like my father, none of her purchases would be private. So, when I turned eighteen, I bought it for her. I had it renovated and everything. She was so ecstatic when I gave it to her…she came out here a lot before her death,” he says.

I realize I’m holding my breath as Luca speaks about his mother. This is the most he’s ever spoken of her. She was always a taboo topic throughout our marriage.

“When did she die?” I ask.

I’ve always been curious as to how Luca’s mother passed. Everyone in our circle was. No one ever had a clear story. She just stopped showing up to events, and Luca’s father became unpleasant to be around for a good while. And Luca—it became difficult to distinguish if he was raised that way or if he was acting out because of what happened to his mother.

“About a year after I bought her the cottage. She and my father were at an event. She was taken and tortured. My father followed their instructions and gave them everything they wanted to get her back. And when they released her, they let her walk across the street to come back to us. Then they shot her no less than five feet away from us,” he says.

My hand comes to my mouth as I watch Luca relive the moment. I can’t imagine witnessing something like that, especially when he was so close to his mother.

“My mother died because we trusted when we shouldn’t have. And my father followed that same childish notion, costing him his life too,” Luca says in irritation.

I can’t imagine how devastated he must have been. I never knew my mother. She died before I was old enough to remember her, and the only reason I know what she looks like is because my father kept their wedding picture. Now, I see why he was so distrustful in the beginning. And he wasn’t far off. My father was plotting against them.

Luca takes a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair.

“I loved my father. But my mother? She was everything to me. Part of me died when she did,” he says.

“I’m sorry, Luca,” I say, pulling his attention. Shock forms on his features when he takes in my tears.

“Don’t cry for me, Elise. I couldn’t save my mother because I was weak. That will never happen again,” he says as his eyes drift back to the road.

My heart aches for him in this moment. It answers so many questions that I was too terrified in the beginning to bring up. It opens the door to a side of Luca I didn’t know existed, a side that associates weakness with the death of those he loves. His personality suddenly makes so much sense to me. And I feel guilty for shaming him all those times about it.

Luca isn’t a good man, that I know. But he has good tendencies. He does the best he can with what we’ve been given in this life. He is a mix of both of his parents, doing what he can to protect their memories, to prevent anyone else from becoming like them.

“What was her name?” I ask.

“Lucia. Her name was Lucia Pasquino.”

Just as Luca said, we arrive at the cottage an hour later. It sits alone, deep in the woods, directly in front of a lake. It’s a beautiful home with a security gate surrounding the property. It’s much warmer and inviting than the large estate we live on, and I instantly understand the appeal.

Luca gently takes my hand in his as he leads me into the house, with Enzo quietly following behind. I wish we were here under different circumstances. I wish we weren’t hiding because of enemies I brought into our marriage. But that is the way of this life. And no matter what I wish, it’s just our unfortunate reality.

So, I push down my fears as I follow Luca into the house, living in this simple moment for as long as possible.

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