Deadly Vows

by Haley Stuart

  Luca steps out of the closet dressed in all black. He is pulling a dark shirt over his head when I call out his name.

  “Luca.” My voice is small. I am scared. I am definitely risking a lot by doing this, but I need to know. “D-do you remember anything from last night?” I look up at him after a moment of silence as he watches me with those emotionless eyes.

  His eyes flicker from my face to my throat, where he has left a large hickey on my neck. His brow furrows a moment, as if thinking, before he responds.

  “No.”

  I take a deep breath. What I am about to do is either really smart or really stupid.

  “You told me about Matteo … the truth …” I look down to the floor, not wanting to see his reaction, in fear of what may be waiting for me. I look up after I hear footsteps. Luca is walking toward the door.

  “Wait!” I shout. He pauses and looks back at me. “Please, I have to know, What do you plan on doing to him?”

  His hand drops from the doorknob as he sighs heavily, looking at my direction. “That doesn’t concern you.”

  I can feel my anger immediately flare up. I jump up from the bed with my fists clenched in anger as I stare Luca down.

  “Not my concern? That’s my little brother! It’s every bit of my concern, Luca!”

  His eyes narrow at me, and my mind is screaming at me to shut up and sit down, but I can’t, not when my little brother’s life may very well be on the line.

  “I think you’re forgetting your place, Elise.” His voice comes out like a whip, but I don’t budge. This is for Matteo. The only family I have left.

  “No. He’s my brother, Luca. My blood. It is my business.”

  He looks at me with a dangerous glare, and I have to swallow my fear. He steps away from the door, coming toward me until he is standing over me at his full height. Intimidating me to the center. His face is blank as he stares me down, until a small smile creeps its way over his lips. He reaches forward and cups my face in his hand, piercing me to the spot with his gaze.

  “I plan to swear him in. By blood. I plan to train him and make him just like me. I plan to use him as retribution for my father’s death and use him to kill the rest of your bloodline that I couldn’t get to.”

  Something clicks in my head. “The rest?”

  His smile grows wider. A small chuckle finds its way from deep within him.

  “Oh, did I forget to tell you? Half of your family is finally dead.” He says it as if he were revealing some kind of happy surprise to me. But I can only gasp in horror. “And if you don’t believe me, you can ask your stupid cousin Ari. She had a front-row seat.” His smile grows more and more vicious. “The ones we couldn’t bait to come here have gone into hiding once they heard about their relatives getting shot down in cold blood. So I plan to track them all down after your brother is sworn in and use him to end their existence. They all know who he is. He was a part of their plan once you and I were out of the way. A perfect scheme set up by your father will be the downfall of the Trovolis.”

  I’ve always known Luca is evil, but this is beyond that. He is going to use an innocent boy and make him murder his own family? Just to teach them a lesson? Even though I don’t know some of my relatives, the fact that Luca has baited them and shot them down in cold blood makes me see him in a whole new light. He isn’t just evil; he is evil incarnate. How can one man be capable of such things?

  I take a step back, and Luca follows the movement with his eyes, his smile dropping.

  “Why are you doing this? To me, to him? Why, Luca? Surely, you can’t be that … evil?”

  Luca quirks an eyebrow at me, and a small laugh escapes his lips. Followed by a full-blown laugh. This one is nothing like the one he has when he is with Matteo. This one is the same laugh he has had when he has murdered my father. I can feel the chills as they break out across my skin.

  Luca’s laugh finally dies down.

  “Baby, you don’t know what I’m capable of. This is what it is to be capo. Instilling fear in the hearts of others so that they don’t revolt against you. Taking care of the family, through whatever means necessary. Taking down anyone that dares get in the way. Compared to the things I’ve done, this is child’s play.”

  My legs grow weak, and I collapse on the ground. Who is this man? What is this man?

  “I’ll kill him.” The room goes silent as Luca takes in my words. I know I sound crazy, but I am grasping at straws, trying to find some way to protect my brother from this cruel fate Luca has planned out for him. “I’ll kill him, and I’ll kill myself. You won’t have him to hold against me anymore. You won’t have me to torture and abuse anymore. And you will lose everything.”

  Luca only smiles wider at me.

  “Then I’ll keep you separated. I’ll lock you up. I’ll torture him before you can do anything about it. Don’t forget whom you’re talking to, Elise.” His smile disappears, and he kneels on the ground in front of me, placing his fingers under my chin, forcing me to look up.

  “Besides, do you really think you could kill your own brother, Elise?” His eyes are filled with amusement as he takes in my predicament.

  I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes. My sobs fill the room.

  “Please don’t do this.”

  I can’t think of anything else. Once I open my eyes again, Luca is heading toward the door, not looking back. He slams the door behind him.

  When I finally grow the courage to leave the room, I walk toward the kitchen and pass by Luca’s office to see the door slightly open. I slow my pace and peep in the door. Luca is sitting at his desk, with papers in front of him. He is speaking, but I am so far away I can’t hear what he is saying. My heart clenches as I see Matteo in front of him. Luca is looking down, but when he looks up, his eyes immediately meet mine. He doesn’t falter in his speech when he sees me.

  He looks to his left and motions to someone, pointing toward the door. Next thing I see is Romelo coming to the door with a firm face and closing it. I drop my head. I can’t believe what is going on.

  Chapter 26

  Luca

  I set the picture down in front of Matteo, watching his reactions carefully. His eyes slightly widen as he takes in the photograph.

  “Do you know this man?”

  The room is silent as he contemplates how to respond. It is almost strange looking at him all this time. He shares similar features with Elise, but also his good-for-nothing father.

  “Yes. That’s my father.”

  I nod. “Eli Trovoli, capo of the South Mob, mostly known for their brutality, betrayals, and lust for power.” I paus, gauging his reaction. “Do you know what the capo is, Matteo?”

  He slowly shakes his head.

  “The capo is the head. The leader. The don. Your father was one of the most powerful men in the United States. He’s responsible for countless power crisis in the United States. And he’s dead.”

  I take another picture and set it down in front of him.

  “You know who this is,” I state matter-of-factly. It is a picture of Elise. It is one taken the day of our wedding. She looks beautiful. Sweet and innocent. It is one of the few pictures I have of her.

  “Elise. She’s my wife. What you don’t know is that she is the only child of Eli Trovoli. That is, until her father realized to gain more power, he needed a son.” I watch as Matteo’s eyes grow wide in understanding.

  “So she’s my—”

  “Half-sister, yes. Don’t worry, she was unaware of this fact up until last night.” I lean back in my chair, loving how things are playing out.

  “So that leaves my role in all this. Of course, you know me as Luca Pasquino. But I am, as of late, the new capo of the North Mob, the most powerful Mob in the United States. I inherited this position sooner than I would have liked due to your family’s need for power.” I watch his face closely as the news comes down on him.

  “I originally planned to kill all the Trovolis. That includes you. But when I married y
our sister, I had a change of heart toward them. I was going to leave them alone. But they interfered once again for more power. And that was where they fucked up. They killed my father. And they were going to use my wife, their own blood, as a pawn in their hunt for power. And I cannot look past that. The only reason you are alive right now is that I love your sister so much.”

  His eyes widen. “You love her, huh? Then why would you engrave your name into her flesh?”

  Matteo meets my eyes, and his are filled with anger. I can feel amusement and excitement bubbling up inside of me. He thinks that just because he now knows that is his sister, he can talk to me any kind of way. Before he can blink, I am standing in my chair with a gun aimed at his forehead. I see Romelo flinch in the corner, ready to stop me if I go too far with this boy. I can feel the fear radiating off him as he finally realizes whom he is dealing with.

  “Do not get my attitude in the past with you confused with how you can speak to me. I am your capo now. You will learn in time the way things are around here.”

  I look at Romelo and motion for him to grab Matteo and take him to begin his initiation. Romelo walks over to him, snatching him out of the chair, and begins dragging him out the door.

  I have begun to take a seat when I hear something coming from the hallway. Rage immediately boils over. Elise. I push up from my chair and make my way quickly to the hallway to see Elise literally on top of Romelo, trying to jerk her brother from his grasp. I immediately grab her off him, holding her down. She is screaming and crying and continuing to struggle under me.

  “Luca, stop! Don’t do this! You can’t do this to him!”

  Matteo is watching her with wide eyes and struggling hard against Romelo. Elise turns her head to look at me, and her eyes are wide and filled with tears. Her face is flushed a beautiful, rosy shade. I can feel myself getting hard. Damn, she is beautiful.

  I haul her up and jerk her into my office, slamming the door behind me. She is still struggling and screaming all kinds of obscenities at me, but I am not even paying attention. I keep watching the way her breasts are moving underneath that tight dress she is wearing. She always wears dresses. I like it when she wears shorter ones, so I can see the curves of her legs as they lead up to her pert little ass.

  I set her atop the desk, and she is still struggling and trying to push me away.

  “Elise.” I calmly say her name, and she stops struggling, staring at me with wide eyes.

  That is another thing I love about her—she can be in the biggest rage you have ever seen, but when she hears my voice call her name, she immediately snaps out of it and is silent.

  I reach out to push her hair out of her face so that I can see it better. It is now down to her upper back. Much longer than when I’ve cut it. Maybe she should start wearing headbands so I can see her face more often. Or I just may cut it again. I smile at the thought. She notices it and visibly flinches.

  My eyes drop to the turtleneck she has on. The dress is short, but instead of there being a V-neck collar, she decides to wear one that covers the love bite. I reach out and pull it down, revealing the mark. I don’t remember doing it. Hell, I don’t even remember telling her about her brother. All I know is that I have been so angry yesterday that I’ve left and gone to the nearest bar. I’ve needed something to erase my emotions. I always have control of them, but being around her makes them go crazy. Everything is a blur after that.

  I wake up this morning before her, and when I am getting dressed, she claims to know the truth about her sibling. That is dumb of me, but there is no use in dwelling on it now. What’s done is done.

  “What do I get if I leave your brother out of this?” I look up from the hickey and into her eyes. She has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. They are a beautiful chocolate brown. The small area around the pupil has a jagged pattern, as if a sandstorm were blowing in those amazing irises.

  I gently push her down so that she is lying on her back on top of the desk. I reach my hands underneath the dress and push it up so that her lower body is exposed. She has an amazing body. I slide my hands up her body and over her breasts, resting one palm over her heart. The rapid thundering is enough to excite me even further. My eyes drop to the side of her where my name is. I can feel my erection getting even harder, but I am going to make myself wait. I want to just look at her.

  I reach down and grab my knife from the holster in my shoe. She jumps from the desk, but I hold her down.

  “You still haven’t answered me, Elise. What will I get for leaving your brother out of this? He is a key component in this plan.” I bring the knife up and press it against the soft fabric of the dress, enjoying the sight of it being sliced off her body. She gasps.

  She is now lying on my desk on nothing more than her bra and panties. And she is wearing all white today. I lean in and press kisses over her stomach. I pull up and stare at the flat surface for a moment. A fleeting thought crosses my mind. She takes a deep breath, causing her stomach to rise and fall with the breath. I step even closer to her in between her legs and lean over her body.

  “I’m going to ask you one more time, Elise. What do I get?”

  She is looking at me with fear in her eyes. She finally opens her mouth.

  “I … I’ll give you anything you want.”

  I chuckle at that. She is so naive. “Baby, I can already have anything I want.” I look at her in pleasure as defeat crosses her features. Hmmm.

  I kneel down and pull her underwear down, tossing them on the floor. I take the knife and bring it to the center of her bra, cutting it off and exposing her perky breasts. They are by no means what I am used to. All my life, I’ve fucked big-breasted women with curvy bodies and big asses. Elise is small and petite, and her breasts fit perfectly in the palms of my hands.

  “Luca …”

  Her small voice pulls me out of my musings. I love it when she says my name. I kneel so that I am level with her body and gently push her legs apart, exposing her to me. I can feel her slight resistance, but she knows better than to deny me. I wrap my arms around her thighs so that her legs are resting over my shoulders and pull her closer to me. She gasps and immediately tries to sit up.

  “Luca, wait,” she starts, but I don’t give her the chance.

  I dip my head in between her thighs, pressing my lips against her folds. I hear her as she gasps above me. I give her a long, slow lick, tasting her sweetness. I shudder in pleasure, and it heads straight to my dick, making it twitch in my pants. I begin giving her pleasure, growing more and more restless as I listen to her moans of pleasure. She loves to pretend she is invincible to me, but I know her body better than she does. And I enjoy drawing pleasure from it. I press my tongue to her clit, and she jumps in pleasure under me.

  I can feel her body tensing as she is about to have an orgasm. I latch on to her clit and begin sucking as I insert a finger in her slick wetness. That is enough to send her over the edge, and her loud moans fill the room. I can feel her tightness spasming around my finger as she rides her orgasm. Before she can come down from it, my pants are down, and I guide my cock to her entrance, pushing in all the way to the hilt. She is tight and warm around me, and her inner muscles are still spasming around my hard length. I can hear her as she cries out. I look up, and her eyes are closed, her cheeks are flushed, and her mouth is slightly parted. The sight is sexy as hell. I arch over her and thread my fingers through her soft strands, placing my forehead against hers as I fuck her on the desk.

  She is crying out with each thrust, and I can’t help but be mesmerized by her. I watch her every move, every sound. I can see the light sheen of sweat forming over her flushed skin and the slight furrow of her brow. I keep my eyes open and watch her as she writhes in pleasure underneath me. I lean in and lightly trace her bottom lip with my tongue. I capture her mouth in mine. Her lips are soft and warm against mine. She opens her mouth in pleasure, moaning into mine.

  I pull back and continue to look down at her. I feel a strong n
eed brewing deep within me and speak before I can process anything else.

  “Tell me you love me.”

  Her eyes fly open, and she looks at me in shock. There is a light glaze over her brown eyes as they meet mine. She opens her mouth, only to close it.

  “Say it.” My voice is louder this time. I can feel the sweat forming on my back. She looks as though she is caught in some inner turmoil.

  “Tell me you love me, Elise.” I slow down, only to give her a hard thrust, the pleasure exploding on me. I can feel myself getting closer and closer to my release.

  “I … I love you.”

  That is all it takes for me to reach my peak. I can feel the tingle in the base of my spine as I explode inside of her. Her muscles begin uncontrollably squeezing me, and I know she has reached her orgasm too. Her orgasm continues, drawing mine out even longer.

  I finally collapse on top of her, both of our bodies slick with sweat. The room is silent except for the sound of our breathing. After a moment, I stand up and pull out of Elise. I look down and am mesmerized at the sight of my seed spilling out of her. I watch until she sits up slowly, avoiding eye contact with me.

  “I’ll leave your brother out of this.” I am speaking before I even realize what I have said.

  She looks up in shock, and her breathing picks up as tears well up in her eyes. She hops off the desk and jumps into my arms, her naked body pressing against mine.

  “Thank you,” she whispers in the crook of my neck.

  I slowly bring my arms up and wrap them around her, enjoying the feel of her warm body against mine. This is probably the first time she has shown me any form of physical affection willingly.

  * * * * *

  I step out of the shower, and Elise is already in bed. She is asleep. I step closer to the bed and take in her features. She looks lovely. She is lying on her side with her arms underneath her head. I reach out and push her stray hairs out of her face. She stirs but doesn’t wake up. I take a seat next to her on the bed and push the cover lower from around her waist. She only wears a tank top and underwear to bed. The tank top has ridden up, and her stomach is exposed. I reach out and lightly touch the flat surface. Hmmm.