Deadly Vows

by Haley Stuart

  Nicolai and Romelo are shouting at him, trying to calm him down, but he is not listening; he is just watching me with that terrifying expression.

  “Elise!” I look up, and Nicolai is shouting at me. They are having a hard time restraining Luca. He is trying to break free.

  “You have to run. Go lock yourself in your room—”

  Nicolai is cut off as Luca breaks free of him, elbowing him in the face, splitting his eyebrow. Blood trickles down the side of his face. Luca scrambles toward me, and Romelo tackles him from behind, pinning him to the floor.

  “Go!” he shouts.

  “Don’t you dare, Elise!” Luca growls out.

  That is all it takes for me to take off. I sprint up the stairs, down the hall, to the farthest room I can find, and lock the door. I slide down the door, my legs trembling. I hold my hands out in front of me and look at all the blood, someone else’s blood that is now on my body. A scream tears its way from my throat. I beat the door with all my might, letting my anger and frustration flow.

  I am stuck here. I am stuck in this. I can’t do anything about it. Luca is sick. He is more than sick. He is deranged. A person that loves blood and gore, killing and murders. And I am married to him. There is no way I can change this man. He has been this way all his life.

  I can hear the struggles of Romelo and Nicolai. If it weren’t for them, there is no telling what would have happened to me.

  * * * * *

  Rain. I can hear it. It isn’t light either. It is a heavy and dark rain. I open my eyes to see the dark raincloud covering the sky. Water is soaking everything. I sit up and feel the tightness of my skin. I look at my arms and the front of my dress to see the crusted blood still on me. If I haven’t vomited last night, I would have at that moment.

  The room I am in has no bathroom. I walk to the door and slowly open it a crack, looking down the empty hallway. I have to get this stuff off me. I look down the corridor, and Luca is nowhere in sight. I step out into the hallway, looking for the nearest room that has a shower in it. Once I find one, I hurry and strip my clothes off, turning on the steaming water.

  As soon as the warm water hits my skin, I begin to cry. I look down at the water flowing down the drain and cry even harder as the water tints. I immediately grab a towel and begin scrubbing my skin. And even when I am done, I continue to scrub it even harder. I scrub and scrub and scrub until my skin is screaming in pain. My body is red from the heat and all the constant scrubbing I have done. I collapse on the bathroom floor and let my loud sobs echo off the wall. I take the scrubber and continue to scrub my skin, growling in frustration.

  A pair of hands encompasses mine, and I look up to see Luca staring at me. A scream tears its way out of my throat, and I back away from Luca as fast as I can, slipping and falling back down as I try to escape. He steps into the shower, still not making a sound. He is wearing clothes, so they get drenched as soon as he steps in.

  “Please …” I close my eyes in fear. I don’t even know what I am begging for.

  I open my eyes and see Luca reaching above me. He is still not saying anything. He grabs a large towel and wraps it around my body, turning the shower off. I keep the towel wrapped around me as we both walk down the hall into our bedroom. He still doesn’t say a word; he only lays a dress on the bed for me to wear and exits the room quietly. I don’t bother putting on the dress. I settle for a sweater shirt and some leggings. I don’t want to wear anything he has picked out.

  Once I finally leave the room, I head into the kitchen. My stomach is growling, seeing as I haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday. I step into the kitchen and freeze. Luca is standing at the counter, with a coffee mug in his hand. His head immediately turns upon my entrance, his gaze meeting mine head-on. I immediately take a step back, ready to leave the kitchen.

  “No. I’ll go,” Luca says softly and exits the room without sparing me so much as a sideways glance. His mind seems to be somewhere else.

  I peep around the corner to see where he is going. He has his back to me and seems to be heading toward the direction of his office.

  I am sitting in the kitchen, quietly munching on a piece of toast, when Nicolai walks in. I gasp as I take in his face. Where Luca has no scratches or bruises on him, Nicolai has stitches above his eye and a swollen cheek. His eye is also turning black. He meets my gaze and immediately freezes.

  “Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were still in here.” He tries to duck out of the kitchen.

  “Wait!” I call out, and he stops, turning slowly. “Did Luca do that?” I ask.

  He looks as though he doesn’t want to respond. “Yes. But please don’t say anything to him about it. You weren’t supposed to see me.” He steps closer to where I am on the barstool. “It’s not his fault. Sometimes he just loses control. Please don’t hold it against him.” He looks at me with pleading eyes.

  I nod to give him peace of mind. He then hurriedly exits the kitchen.

  I look out the window, wishing more than anything the rain will stop falling. I sigh. I wish Matteo were here. Even though I never get to speak to him, something about him just gives me peace of mind. It makes me happy to see his innocence and optimism. He won’t come back for another two days, and that is only if the rain stops.

  A loud rapping on the back door startles me, and I spill my mug of coffee all over the counter. I look up and see none other than Matteo standing on the other side of the door. He is wearing a tank top and some shorts and is getting soaked in the rain. I immediately jump up from the counter and run to the door, pulling it open.

  “Oh my gosh, Matteo, are you all right?”

  He looks panicked. “I … I’m so sorry for barging in like this, I just don’t know anyone else. My mom had no friends, I didn’t know whom to call, I don’t know what to do …” He keeps mumbling in a panicked state, not really making any sense. He looks as though he is in shock from something.

  I grab his face in my hands, making him focus on me. “Matteo, calm down. How’d you get here?” Our house is literally in the middle of nowhere, and the nearest bus station is forty-five minutes away.

  “I took the bus into town and walked … well, ran,” he says.

  I take in his frantic form and step around him to close the door. “Come on.” I grab his hand and lead him into the living room. The fireplace is going, luckily. I sit him on the couch. “Wait right here.”

  He doesn’t seem to be listening; his eyes are empty, and he looks as though he is in a daze.

  I sprint out of the living room and pass Luca’s office. The door is closed. Obviously, he hasn’t heard us, or he’ll be in the living room by now. I grab a blanket from the cover closet and run back to the living room, sneaking a glance at Luca’s office, making sure the door is still closed. When I arrive back into the living room, Matteo is sitting with his head in his hands. I wrap the blanket around him and take a seat next to him, rubbing his back.

  “Now, tell me what happened.”

  “I … I tried to call Mr. Pasquino, but he didn’t answer. I didn’t know whom else to call, so I came here. You guys are the closest thing I have to a family.” He pauses and begins to cry even harder. “My mom … she’s missing. She won’t answer her phone. And she never leaves without leaving a note. I tried the police, but they said they couldn’t do anything for twenty-four hours. And they hate her. She’s been in trouble with the law quite a few times.”

  He looks up.

  “This isn’t like her. She knew how dangerous the world was. She always stressed it to me. She wouldn’t just up and disappear like this.” There is worry evident in his eyes.

  “Okay, how about I go get the keys and I’ll take you home, and we’ll begin our search there, okay?”

  “But what about Mr. Pasquino?”

  “He’s busy right now,” I lie. I don’t want to bother with Luca. One, I am terrified to speak to him, and two, there is no telling what he’ll do if he finds out Matteo and I are speaking to each other. I grab
Matteo’s hand in mine, giving it a light squeeze. “We’re going to find her, okay? It’ll be all right.” I give him a light smile.

  I head toward the garage. Luca keeps all the cars in there and the keys to each hanging on their own hooks on the wall. We step into the garage and turn on the lights. The garage is underground, like a parking garage, so Luca won’t be able to hear us leave, especially with this rain. I grab the first set of keys I lay my eyes on and press the button. The Audi lights up. Perfect.

  I don’t have a license, but I know how to drive. Hopefully, we won’t get pulled over on the way to Matteo’s.

  * * * * *

  I can’t help feel pity as I look around. This place is filthy. It is obvious that a drug addict lives here. But it isn’t obvious a fifteen-year-old boy lives here. There is trash everywhere, burnt foil, clothes, dirty dishes, and food residue. The place is tiny, grimy. I looks at Matteo in disbelief.

  “Matteo, you live here?” I ask.

  He nods, not speaking to me. In all honesty, this place doesn’t look livable.

  “I told you my mother blew all the money. This was all we could barely afford.”

  He walks toward me with an eviction notice in his hand. I feel my heart break for this boy. If all this is happening to him, what can possibly be Luca’s connection to him?

  A loud noise startles me out of my thoughts. I turn and see Matteo has thrown something across the room in frustration.

  “Why are we here? We should be looking for her, not searching where she’s not. I already looked here,” he growls in frustration.

  “Matteo, we need to see if she left any clues of where she might be or anything. Maybe she did leave a note, just not in her usual spot? It never hurts to double-check.”

  He is staring at me in frustration, and I turn away from him, reaching on the top shelf of the bookcase for any stray paper. My shirt rides up slightly, and I hear a gasp, followed by the yanking of my shirt.

  I immediately look down in horror but am met with the same horror. Matteo is staring at me in shock.

  “Dear God, did he do that to you?” He motions to my side.

  Shit. I have been careless. He has seen my side. He has seen Luca’s name. I don’t answer him.

  “Elise, that’s his name … and that’s not a tattoo. It looks like it’s been … carved into your skin,” he says in disbelief.

  “Matteo, this isn’t about me. I’m fine. We need to find your mother.” I walk away before he can respond, feeling stupid. How could I have been so careless?

  I step into the hallway, and there is a closed door.

  “Matteo, whose room is this?” I ask.

  He looks at me with irritation before answering my question. “That’s my mom’s room.”

  “Why’s the door closed? Did you close it before you left?” I ask.

  His eyes widen in realization. “No.”

  I make a face and turn back to the door. I slowly turn the knob.

  “Well, then, she must’ve come home while you were gone. She must be in he—”

  I am cut off as I open the door to his mother’s room. A scream rips its way from my throat, and I back away from the door as quickly as I can. Bile immediately rips its way from my stomach, and I hunch over. Matteo is coming my way quickly with a worried expression. I immediately slam the door shut and brush past him, trying to pull him with me.

  “No, Matteo, don’t go in there,” I plead, with my eyes at him.

  “Why?” His face grows panicked as he takes in my tone. He turns his head toward his mother’s room and tries to step that way, but I hold his arm steady, shaking my head.

  “No, Matteo.”

  He looks at me and at the door and back to me in a panic.

  “We need to get Luca. He’ll know what to do …” I trail off.

  I am an idiot. I should have never come here in the first place without his knowledge. Then it hits me. If someone has been here to kill Matteo’s mother since he’s been gone, they could still be near. And we could be in danger.

  “Matteo, we have to leave now.” I begin to grow panicked and paranoid, looking everywhere. I don’t even think Matteo knows what Luca is into. Possibly, someone that sees his connection with Matteo is looking to hurt him somehow. But why? Nothing is making any sense.

  I am tugging frantically on Matteo’s arm, but he is in shock as he stares at his mother’s door.

  “Matteo, please. Our lives could be in danger.”

  This catches his attention, and he looks at me questioningly. I don’t have time to explain, so I drag him out of the house and into the pouring rain, right into a large body.

  Chapter 22

  Luca

  “The body has been put into place. Everything else has been taken care of,” Romelo informs me.

  I need a fucking drink. The past twenty-four hours has been hell, to say the least.

  After I’ve left the house yesterday, I’ve driven straight into a bloodbath. That bitch Elise’s father has knocked up has found out who I am and wants revenge for his death. She is nothing but a crack whore that is mad because her source is dead.

  In the past year, I have made myself a normal part of Matteo’s life. As soon as I’ve met Elise, I’ve pushed my way into his life. He is a good kid. He and Elise share similar facial features, which makes it easier for me to be nice to him, seeing as he has his father’s blood running through his veins. Matteo’s mother has almost gotten her son killed on several occasions, and when I’ve met him for the first time, he is starving. She has taken the money sent for his benefit and blown it all on drugs and clothes for herself.

  So I’ve taken it upon myself to take care of him in the shadows. At first, it is to use him against his father, because I don’t trust the bastard one bit. But when I realize Elise isn’t aware of her half-brother, I realize something more powerful is at play here. So I take care of him and teaches him what it means to be a man. Even though my views are different from his, I try to be as normal for his sake as I can. For Elise. She doesn’t know I have contact with him. Hell, she doesn’t even know she is looking at her little brother every day. And I want to keep it that way. For how long, I have no idea.

  His mother has orchestrated a very smart plan to take me out. She has one of my clubs raided, killing some of my men and wounding many. It isn’t business hours, so it is just the people that I’ve put in charge that are there. And when I’ve shown up, she has somehow gotten ahold of men to attack us.

  I clench my fists in frustration as I remember her threat.

  “I’ll kill that wife of yours. Everything she has, my son deserves! I’ll kill her slowly and make her suffer.”

  She’s never gotten anything more out of her mouth before my world has gone dark, all the rage and hatred consuming me. All I remember are bits and pieces. Her screams of agony, her blood, the blood of I don’t know how many other men. The pleasure and bloodlust that has coursed through my veins has been so intense I’ve lost myself. Even in my haze, I can hear Elise’s voice, but I haven’t realized I’ve almost hurt her in that state.

  I wake up locked to a desk, with blood crusted all over my body and Nicolai and Romelo having bloody bruises and cuts, but not from the club. From me. Once they explain to me everything that has happened, I can only imagine the horror Elise is feeling. And she has shown it when she has looked at me this morning. She is terrified. I can’t help the guilt I feel as I find her rubbing her skin raw in that shower. I can’t imagine what I’ve almost done to her. But I can only imagine as I look and see the bloodstains that are everywhere. I have to get the staff to scrub it out before Elise wakes up.

  My phone goes off, and I pull it out, looking at the screen. I frown. One of my cars has been taken. I have a system that lets me know whenever a car is taken from the garage. But I haven’t taken any cars anywhere. I immediately stand from my desk.

  “Go find Elise.” I bark the command at Romelo and Nicolai.

  As they take off out of the room, I p
ull up my security system to watch the film. No one has broken into the garage, but … Matteo? He has frantically run around the house before settling on the back door. He has stood for a moment before walking into the house.

  Fuck. I pull out my phone and pull up Elise’s tracker. Sure enough, she isn’t here. But she is moving. Fast. Which means she is the one that has taken the car. And Matteo is probably with her. And they are probably headed to his house, where the fucking body has been dumped.

  I jump up from my seat behind my desk, sprinting out of the office.

  “Romelo!”

  They must still be searching for Elise. Fuck! If I don’t get there in time, she will see my handiwork. And worse, she and Matteo are alone together. I sprint out of the house to my car, sending Romelo a text to meet me at Matteo’s while I am running. The plan has been falling into place perfectly, but Elise’s being there is unexpected.

  I make it to his house in record time, and sure enough, my Audi is parked out front. I open the door, and the rain plummets down on me. I have walked as fast as I can to the front of the house when Elise’s frightened face exits the house with Matteo right behind her. Shit. She has found her. Elise is so panicked and frightened she doesn’t even see me standing there as she slams right into me full force.

  Chapter 23

  Luca

  “We had been searching the house for about thirty minutes. I … I didn’t hear anything, but when I opened the door, sh—”

  Elise cuts off her sentence and begins sobbing again. She turns her face into my chest. I can feel the violent sobs as they shake her entire body. We have been sitting out here for an hour in the pouring rain as the police slowly turns this area into a crime scene.

  I rub her back comfortingly. I look over to where Matteo is sitting on the back of an ambulance. He looks as though he is focusing on nothing. The cop is talking to him, but he isn’t responding. He is watching as his mother’s body is wheeled out of the house under a white sheet. I know that look all too well. Shock. Damn. This isn’t what is supposed to happen.

  The original plan is to stage his mother’s death, and seeing as I am the only other important role in Matteo’s life, I will take him in and swear him into the family. But when his mother has found out who I am and tried to kill me, well, I’ve lost control and mutilated her body. We are to use that in our favor, telling him the truth behind his father and that someone from a rival Mob must have figured out who he is, pinning the death on someone else so his rage will fester and he will join the family without question, to “avenge” his mother’s death.