Page 19 of Deadly Vows

His eyes roam to the hem of my shirt, and his fingers follow suit, playing with the edges. I don’t speak. I keep my attention on the gardener as he cuts roses. It’s all I can do to keep from trembling under Luca’s touch.

“I’ve arranged an audition for you. According to the director, it’s a highly sought-after position. I would love to hear you playanother recital. I want the whole world to hear just how talented my beautiful wife is,” he says.

He continues to raise my shirt so that the C and A are visible. But lowers it when I don’t respond. He then releases a sigh, laying his head on my lap with his eyes closed. The wind blows slightly, caressing both of us. If we were a normal couple, this would be a nice moment. But I am sixty seconds away from breaking down just from this man’s touch.

“You know, now that your father is out of the way, the matter of your family’s new head is very tender. And since his daughter married into the Pasquinos, it would only make sense for me to appoint a new head. That is, if I don’t decide to kill them all first,” he says.

My heart leaps into my throat, and Luca now has my full attention.

“What?” I gasp, looking down at him. His eyes are open as he watches me, excitement on his face. His dark hair falls away from his face at this angle, as he smiles at me through thick lashes.

“I knew that would get your attention,” he chuckles.

Luca sits up, his smile dropping as he kneels across from me. He gently reaches for my face, and I can no longer fight my discomfort as his hand brushes against my cheek. I slightly pull away from his touch, and he notices. His touch deepens, pressing into the veins visible on my throat as he speaks.

“Your father attempted to murder me and you. Not only would he have ended my family line, but he would have started a war himself. And I know he wouldn’t have had the balls to do it had he not had backing from his family. I won’t fault you for his mistakes, but someone has to pay for it, Elise,” he says.

The burning sensation on my side intensifies as Luca watches me. He has no idea the thoughts running through my mind, nor does he know that I was blaming myself for my father’s decisionsonly earlier. But he doesn’t see it that way. He sees me as the silver lining in all this, regardless of my feelings on the situation.

“I knew nothing of my father’s business,” I say after a moment of silence. I know he wants me to give him names, but I couldn’t even if I wanted to. In our home, I am a woman, and therefore, my only purpose was to marry and have children. The business was not part of that plan.

Luca laughs, his fingers playing in my hair as he admires his handiwork.

“I believe you. But I also expect you to understand that if it comes down to it, and certain people get caught in the crosshairs, you are no longer a part of that family. Your father’s backing hinged on something else, seeing as you were his only heir… legitimate, that is,” he says.

My eyes widen slightly as Luca tosses the idea into the air. Luca once again smiles as he watches me try to maneuver the possibility.

“Don’t worry, Elise. If the bastard does exist, I won’t let him come to power. Not if it means your life,” he says.

I shake my head. “My father would never—”

“Cheat on his wife?” Luca laughs, making the notion sound ridiculous indeed. “Elise, your naivete is so endearing. There is so much to this world that you don’t know. I almost pity you for it.”

Luca pulls me into him, wrapping his arms around me in an embrace. He lovingly places kisses along my throat, careful not to brush against the wound on my side. I don’t understand him as a person, nor do I think I ever will. In his twisted mind, I am sure he has feelings for me. He doesn’t know what to do with them or how to express them properly. His father raised him as a killer, ensuring he is cold-hearted enough to take out anyone who gets in his way, including those he cares about.

For the first time in his life, Luca defied his father’s order for the sake of my life. Somewhere in his twisted mind, he values me and our marriage. But he also isn’t a man capable of real love.

“Your father was a damn fool to give you away for the sake of power. But I’m glad he did,” he says, pulling away from me, his fingers playing at the hem of my shirt. He once again pulls the fabric up, this time revealing his full name on my flesh. He smiles, confirming the truth I was aware of all along. He lacks remorse.

“I love my name on your skin. The whole world will know you belong to me,” he says.

His cloudy gaze remains focused on the jagged scarring, his fingers tracing the lines. I hold my breath as he smiles lazily, enjoying the wickedness of his actions.

“Mr. Pasquino?” The gardener comes to stand behind us, the freshly picked roses in his hand as he looks down at us, ignoring my existence. Luca pulls himself away from me, but doesn’t seem irritated with the gardener.

“The roses you asked for,” he says with a smile.

Luca takes them from the man, dipping his chin slightly in respect before turning back to me, holding out a single, blood-red rose to me. The gardener smiles happily before moving away to continue his work in another part of the yard. When I reach for the rose, Luca pulls it back slightly, his smile widening.

“Who do you belong to, Elise?” he asks.

“You, Luca.” My voice is small and frail, just like me.

Luca hands me the rose in silent approval, allowing me to study it in the silence. I’ve never had any strong will when coming to this place. Now even more so. I’m not like the powerful women in movies who won’t take shit from their husbands, and leave when he gets to be too much. This isn’t a movie. This is real life.Mylife. And I’m sure if I tried to leave him, Luca would not hesitate to end it.

It’s what his father trained him to do.

Luca pulls me out of my thoughts, gripping my jaw lightly before pulling me in for a kiss. It takes everything in me to kiss him back. Because I know that if I resist, it will make things worse.

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