Page 33 of Deadly Vows

I can’t help myself; I laugh. And once I calm down, I speak.

“Your father was a coward who risked everything on your existence. And I’ve come to extinguish it before anything else gets out of hand,” I say firmly.

Shock washes over his features as he kneels before me, eyes wide. He looks frightened. I can’t help but wonder why Eli never revealed to him the truth about his life and why he kept his successor in the dark.

“When’s the last time you saw him?” I ask.

“A-a few months ago,” he whispers.

“And what did he say to you? Anything you think I’ll find significant?” I ask.

He shakes his head slightly but stops to respond. “Just that I’d be moving with him soon…and that he would show me the ropes,” he says.

I laugh at that. It must have been when he thought Elise and I would be as good as dead.

“Has anyone else from his side contacted you? Contacted your mom?” I ask.

“She won’t let me talk to anyone. Everything goes through her,” he says softly.

I nod.

Of course.

“Are you still going to kill me?” he asks, pulling my attention. Before I can respond, Romelo perks up from the doorway.

“Boss. They got her trail,” he says.

I look at him in confusion, my heart fluttering slightly as I take in the meaning of his words.

“You don’t mean…”

“Yes. They found Elise.”

Chapter Fifteen

Elise

My father never prepared me for life. He didn’t teach me the importance of finances, working, or social skills. He isolated me and raised me to be the perfect wife—and up until a few weeks ago, I was. Now that I’m on my own, I realize just how sheltered I was and just how much more there is to the world.

“Elise! Table three?”

I cry out as I burn my hand on the coffee warmer, trying to multitask once again. When I first ran off, I thought all the planning and waiting were worth it. And though I had gotten a proper education, it still didn’t prepare me for just how big the world is. The one state we reside in stretches so vastly that it’s been impossible to get out. I find myself constantly moving to newer cities, hoping I’ve gone far enough but failed.

And because my husband is such an influential man, leaving the country is out of the question. He’d have me as soon as I walked into the airport. I’ve been forced to avoid publictransport for that very reason, making it even more challenging to relax in my escape.

I quickly make my way to the table, pulling out my notepad.

“I’m so sorry about that wait, what can I get—Ari?” I blink rapidly to make sure I’m not seeing things as my cousin sits in the dingy booth with a scarf that costs more than everything on the menu combined on her head. She keeps her head trained forward, composing herself as she looks at me.

I don’t know whether to feel joy that she’s alive or dread that she’s found me here. I had always hoped she escaped Luca’s wrath, but I never knew where she stood on the issues involving my father. Or my life, for that matter.

“Elise,” she says with a soft smile.

My chest is tight as I slide into the booth next to her, wrapping my arms around her. My eyes burn as tears spill down my cheeks. It feels like a dream to have her here.

“I thought you were dead,” I whisper.

She gently places her gloved hand on me, comforting me.

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