Page 60 of Deadly Vows

“Fuck!”

I beat my fists against the floor as hard as I can, letting my frustration out. I am stuck here—stuck in this life, stuck with a man who kills to survive. A person my father signed me off to for the sake of the boy my husband is now keeping on a leash. I am married to this twisted man. And there is nothing I can do to change him.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Elise

It’s raining.

It isn’t a light rain, either. It’s heavy and dark—the kind that washes away the Earth. I slowly open my eyes as the heavy vibrations of thunder penetrate my sleep. I am not in my bed. And as I sit up, I notice the tightness of my skin.

Blood is crusted to my arms and under my fingernails, staining the front of my clothes and the sheets I fell asleep on top of last night.

I release a bitter chuckle.

This room doesn’t have a bathroom attached. But I can’t sit here any longer in these clothes. I need to get out of them. I slowly rise from the bed, my muscles aching and sore from the panic of last night as I remove the furniture from in front of the door. I try to keep my emotions at bay as I pull open the door, and the silence of my home greets me.

Luca is nowhere in sight.

I don’t go to our bathroom. I go to the nearest bathroom I can, peeling the blood-crusted clothes from my skin as the water emits steam. It isn’t until I step under the warm spray, my eyes falling to the dirty water that comes off of me, that I break down.

I grab a bar of soap, scrubbing my skin as best I can, using my nails to scrape up whatever is left. I grit my teeth in pain as the hot sting of the water becomes unbearable, welcoming the feeling. It gives me a sense of control over myself and my life. At this moment, I can decide whether or not to stop inflicting this pain. I can choose to feel it. And when my skin begins to turn pink from rubbing myself raw, I collapse on the floor, quietly letting my sobs loose.

I don’t know what to expect as I finally garner enough strength to leave the confines of the bedroom. The house is quiet, and I don’t know whether I will run into Luca this morning. I pray that I don’t. I don’t know what brought on his attacks last night, and I don’t want to know. The more I think about it, the more I fear what it could mean— whose death it could be and whether or not it is my family.

I step into the kitchen, pausing when I see Nicolai with his back to me. He turns when he hears me enter, and I gasp as I take in his face. He has fresh stitching above his eye and a ghastly bruise that is slowly turning his eye black.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were coming down,” he says as he tries to duck out of the kitchen, but I stop him.

“What happened last night?” I whisper as I eye the bruise on his face.

He hesitates, his eyes shifting to the archway that leads out of the kitchen.

“I’m not allowed to say anything, Mrs. Pasquino,” he says.

“Nicolai. We’re leaving.” We both turn to see Romelo standing in the archway, his cold expression shifting over both of us.

“Excuse me,” Nicolai says, brushing past me.

Romelo watches him as he leaves before his attention shifts to me.

“It’s not his fault. Sometimes he loses control…Try not to hold it against him,” Romelo says.

I don’t respond, watching him in shock. Romelo rarely speaks and never acknowledges my existence when he is around me. This is the first time, and it’s for Luca’s sake.

Romelo doesn’t wait for my response, making his way out of the kitchen. I quietly peek out of the archway just in time to see Luca, cleaned of all of the blood that was covering him and seemingly of sound mind as he leads his men to do something else this morning. He’s dressed in a dark suit, his hair perfectly pushed out of his face, and his expression is blank and determined.

I almost call out to him, but decide against it. Luca has never been one to restrain himself or even think he is in the wrong. But he has clearly been awake longer than me and hasn’t sought me out all morning. Whatever his reasons, I’m not going to do anything to influence his actions.

So I quietly make my way back into the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee and have a moment to myself of comfort and calm as my husband once again leaves without warning to do something that would more than likely get the average man killed.

I wish the rain would stop. It dampens my mood even further, making me feel hopeless. I release a deep breath, taking a sip of my coffee. It’s nice to know that for once, the house isempty, and I at least have the day to myself. But I dread Luca’s return. There’s no telling what he went out to do today after last night. But I do find comfort in him not acknowledging me this morning.

I flinch as a loud bang echoes from the front door, causing me to almost spill my coffee.

“Ouch!” I hiss as some spills on my hand. But I quickly wipe it against my shirt as I go to the entry area. The knocking continues, and it sounds desperate. My heart beats slightly faster the closer I come. No one knows we live out here, and Luca usually has security even if he’s gone.

I pull in a deep breath as I look out the glass next to the front door. It’s Enzo. He’s soaked and shivering as he glares at the front door with desperation in his eyes. He raises his hand to knock again, and I pull open the door.

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