Page 122 of Deadly Vows

“No matter what happens after tonight, I am honored to have been sworn in under you, Luca,” he says.

“I couldn’t ask for a better man to be at my right side,” I say.

While the three of us are close, Romelo and I grew up together. His father was a lousy old man who deserved death a thousand times over. My father used him on occasion for information, but towards the end, he became useless. If not for my notice of Romelo’s ability, he probably would have died in that house.

I place my hand on his shoulder.

“See you on the other side.”

Chapter Fifty-One

Luca

There are many people out there desperate to take us down. But none would have had the balls to attempt it in the way this man did.

Jared Mitchum.

He heads the agency we’re after. Unlike the agents who were dumb enough to take money from people who had no power to protect them, he is actually trained for this world. He’s skilled in hand-to-hand combat, weapons, torture, and anything else you can think of. If not for my finding Elise, he would have continued to pick us off one by one. He has the patience to do so.

But he made a mistake when he allied with the Trovolis—when he ordered the hit on my father. When he fucked with the Pasquinos. He opened up himself to a shitstorm. And gave me the perfect opportunity to give myself and my entire family immunity.

I shift my attention to the window upstairs. The light is still on. I’ve been watching his home for the past thirty minutes, waitingfor him to fall asleep so I can put an end to this. According to the files we stole, he lives in the middle of nowhere. He probably thought it would make him safer living out here, but it’s only made him more vulnerable.

As I continue to wait, my mind shifts to Elise. I can’t help but wonder what she’s doing now. I’ve barely had time to think about her over the past few days. It feels like I had to leave just as we were getting on the same page. I keep trying to tell myself that I just need to focus on this for now. I can think about and see her all I want when this is over. But I can’t help myself. I could be walking into my death. And that was the last time I saw her.

If I die, she’ll get one of her wishes at least. She’ll be free of this life. No one knows where she is, not even Romelo and Nicolai. She’ll be able to start a new life without me or the pressures of our world. She can be happy—truly happy.

I’m pulled from my thoughts when the lights finally go out, signaling it’s time. I pull in a deep breath, moving from my hiding place.

First, I go to the box on the side of the house that is responsible for all of his electricity. And after the few seconds it takes to cut the lock off, I cut the wires to the security system. I make sure to replace the lock with a new one before making my way to the side door that leads into the kitchen.

It takes me about five minutes to break into his home. Even though I cut the security, the front door was deadbolted, so I had to make use of the side door in the kitchen. I slowly ease the door closed behind me, grabbing my gun from its holster as I head up the stairs. The blueprints said the master bedroom is up the stairs, and I assume that is where he’ll be. If I’m lucky, he’ll be fast asleep and I can end this nightmare without a fight.

Once I reach the top of the stairs, my eyes have adjusted to the darkness. I can see that the bedroom door is slightly cracked. Ihold my hand out, seconds from pushing it open, when I register movement in the corner of my eye.

A baseball bat connects with my forearms, instant pain shooting through me as it forces my gun out of my hand. I don’t have the luxury of nursing my pain as my assailant swings again. This time, however, I am ready. I dodge, grabbing the bat as it collides with the wall. I pull hard on it, bringing my attacker forward, and I use their balance shift to knock their feet out from under them.

The grunt of pain is all the confirmation I need.

But he’s fast, coming at me from below. His hands wrap around my waist as he attacks me from below, both of us colliding with the ground. I cry out as my back comes into contact, bearing both my and his weight. He straddles me, attempting to strike me across the face, but I dodge, grabbing his arm before smashing my fist into his rib. He immediately falls off of me, and I don’t give him time to recover as I grip his shirt, my fist colliding with his face over and over until I see him swinging at me.

I put my hands up to dodge it, but slicing pain rips through my forearms.

“Fuck!” I cry out, putting distance between us. He has a knife, and he knows he has me on the defense, swinging wildly in the dark. The tear of my clothing sounds as he misses my skin by inches, and I close the distance between us, but he lunges at me, and we both go tumbling down the steps.

I cry out, trying to orient myself before he does as we hit the bottom of the stairs, both of us panting hard. He really is gifted in hand-to-hand combat.

“Luca…fucking…Pasquino. I knew you’d stop by sooner or later. How’s your wife? Still lost to the system?” he chuckles.

I don’t bother correcting him that she was found. I attack. My fist connects with his face, and as he stumbles back, I hit him square in the chest, sending him through the archway.

Laughter echoes from the living room as I slowly step through the archway.

“Fuck…I knew you’d be tough,” he laughs, slowly standing.

But he doesn’t attack. He watches me with a grin as if he’s won something.

“Do you really think I didn’t know you were skewering my subordinates? I know a lost cause when I see it,” he chuckles.

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