Deadly Vows

by Haley Stuart

  I stand up and walk out of the room, walking to my office. I open the filing cabinet with Elise’s medical records in it and pull out the file. She is currently on the shot. We go in every three months to keep her from getting pregnant. I look at the dates marked and feel a smile coming onto my face. The next time we are to go in is in five days. Hmmm.

  I pull out my phone and make a call to Dr. Shotwell. He answers on the first ring.

  “Yes, Mr. Pasquino, is it an emergency?”

  “No. I have a few questions for you.”

  Chapter 27

  Elise

  I am drinking some coffee when Matteo steps into the room. He looks my direction and pauses, just staring at me. This is the first time we have seen each other since that day. Luca has sworn to me that he won’t hurt him, and he has said he is going to leave him out of his sick planning. But why haven’t I seen him around the house?

  I give him a light smile and motion for him to come sit next to me.

  “I can make you some breakfast if you want.”

  He shakes his head no and walks over to the coffee maker, pouring himself a cup. I can’t help but stare at him. It is strange. All this time, my brother has been in the same area as me, and I haven’t even realized it. Looking at him now, I can see some of my father’s features. But he also has softer features, probably from his mother. And those eyes. They are a bright green. My father doesn’t have green eyes, so I’m guessing he has gotten that from his mother. He walks to the counter, where I am sitting, and sits in the seat across from me, staring down at the coffee.

  “So you’re my sister.” He doesn’t look up as he speaks. I can’t blame him. This is strange, to say the least.

  “And you’re my brother,” I respond. He blows on his coffee and takes a sip. After he sets the mug down, he speaks.

  “Our father was in the Mob?” He finally looks up at me. I nod gingerly.

  “Did he really try to kill you?”

  I nod again.

  “And Mr. Pasq—I mean Luca, he’s your husband?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you were both arranged in this marriage.”

  “Yes.”

  “And Luca … is the Mob too.”

  “Yes.”

  He shakes his head in disbelief. “There’s so much I want to ask you. But why did you save me? If what Luca says is true, I’m the reason your mother’s dead. So why do you even like me? How can you even tolerate me?” He looks up at me, and he looks genuinely confused.

  I reach across the counter, placing my hand over his. “You’re the only family I have left. And you’re my brother. It’s not your fault, everything that’s happened. I can’t hate you for that. You’re all I have left, and I just need to protect you,” I say.

  And that is the truth.

  He is all I have left. Ari and I are enemies now, and the rest of my family is out to kill me. Honestly, if it weren’t for Luca, I wouldn’t even be here now.

  We sit in the kitchen for hours and just talk. I tell him about our father, about our lifestyle, and how I grew up. I tell him about my feelings when I found out about my marriage to Luca and how I even ran away. I tell him of Arianna and our family’s crazy obsession for power. I open up to him immediately, and he listens. I can see the pity on his face when he hears of the betrayals and suffering I have had.

  He then tells me about his life. About how our father visited him rarely and kept him and his mother afloat. He tells me about how he had to grow up quick and drop out of high school because he needed to take care of his mother. We sit there and slowly bond with each other, trying to catch up on all the years lost.

  Matteo suddenly looks behind me, and his whole demeanor turns tensed and rigid, his eyes visibly darkening. I turn to see Luca entering the kitchen. He is wearing only a pair of sweatpants that hang low on his waist. He has obviously just gotten done working out. He looks our direction, and his eyes sweep over Matteo and visibly lingers on me. His hair is wet and sticking to his forehead. I wish he weren’t so handsome. He doesn’t make a sound as he grabs a water bottle. He comes to where we are sitting and kisses the top of my head.

  “Good morning.”

  I give him a small smile. I don’t want to do anything to get him riled up. He has been abnormally calm the past few days, and I don’t want to be the one to set him off. Especially in front of Matteo. Luca gives me a small smile, and it completely disappears as he looks at Matteo. Matteo doesn’t speak to him; he just glares. After a moment, a small laugh escapes Luca’s lips, and he walks to exit the kitchen.

  “Elise, come with me.” His voice carries across the kitchen, and I immediately hop off the table to follow Luca.

  Once I exit the kitchen, Luca grabs my hand and pulls me into the nearest room.

  “I have made a big sacrifice in not swearing your brother in. So I do expect respect in my home. Make sure he knows that. He will also be attending school from now on, and when he’s not busy on the weekends, he’ll continue his yard duties. I will not give him a free ride around here. Understand?”

  I nod vigorously.

  “Romelo will shadow him. Teach him how he’s supposed to act around here. I don’t want to lose control and end up injuring your brother because of his stupidity. Make sure he knows that.”

  Luca doesn’t blink as he relays all this information to me. I just nod in understanding. Luca cocks his head as he stare at me.

  “We’re having a party tonight. In honor of your brother’s … arrival.”

  * * * * *

  Matteo is working hard on the backyard. I sit on the patio and watch him, unable to keep myself at a distance from him. All I do is watch him. I don’t want him to be caught alone with Luca. I have to protect him. This is actually the only time that I have been alone. Luca has been with me every second of every day. Always watching me.

  I have time to be alone with my thoughts. And my feelings are starting to catch up to me. I am exhausted. Scared. Angry. Confused. Sad. And the little bit of happiness that I do have comes from my brother’s being here with me.

  I am exhausted from always being on guard with Luca. I am scared because he has brought my brother into his home. And even though he has told me he won’t swear him in, I still believe that he has some kind of sick plot waiting for the both of us. I am angry because Matteo and I are the last of our bloodline. As well as Ari. But I have no idea what Luca has in store for her. I am confused because here lately, Luca is anything but his usual self. By that I mean he is sweet. Nice. And he is keeping his word when it comes to Matteo. He is staying away from him.

  “Do you want to know something?”

  I look up as Luca comes outside. He is behind me. See what I mean? I am hardly ever alone. He pulls out the chair next to me and sits down facing to where Matteo is. He reaches out across the table, grabbing my hand in his and bringing it to his lips.

  “I love you so much. You would not believe the people that have asked me for favors. Even some had something to give me in return for the favor, and I turned them all down. But you ask me for something that deals with my personal plans, and I can’t help but give you what you want.” He looks away from Matteo, meeting my eyes. “You are my weakness.”

  I am silent, unable to respond. He breaks my gaze and looks back at Matteo.

  “He should be dead. You should be dead. Your cousin should be dead. If I weren’t so weak when it came to you, I wouldn’t be having the problems I’m having now.” He laughs bitterly. “You’re all I have left, Elise. My family is dead. All of them. Everyone I have ever loved, they are gone. You’re the only family I have. I won’t let anyone take that away from me. I’ll protect you and your brother.”

  * * * * *

  I step into Matteo’s room quietly and see that he is intently focused on the ground. I knock lightly on the doorjamb, and he looks up tensed but visibly relaxes when he sees it’s me. I give him a small smile.

  “Hey, you ready?”

  He gives me a light
smile and shakes his head. “I don’t know any of these people. And from what Luca has told me, they all hate the blood that runs through my veins.”

  I frown at that. He is right. Most of these people are of the North Mob. And if not a part of the family, they are important figures in society that the North has in their pockets. And for some reason, Luca is throwing a party to “celebrate” the arrival of another Trovoli after he has just gotten rid of virtually all of them. Something isn’t right about this.

  I take the tie from the dresser and begin to fasten it around his collar.

  “Well, tonight is in honor of you. And you have me. I won’t let anything happen to you. And neither will Luca.”

  Matteo grabs my hand and looks me dead in the eyes. “You don’t truly believe that, do you?”

  I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. I really am speechless. Because once again, he is right.

  The party is held in the east wing of the house, meaning one of the ballrooms is in full swing by the time I show up with Matteo on my arm. Luca meets me in the archway with a wickedly handsome smile. He is wearing all black except for his red tie. He looks from me to Matteo with a wicked glint in his eye.

  He motions for Romelo to come get Matteo. I take ahold of Matteo’s hand as Romelo gets closer. Luca notices the motion.

  “Now, Elise, I am the host and you are my wife, so you are to be on my arm tonight.”

  Romelo finally reaches us, and Matteo looks at me with a small glint of fear in his eye. I look at Luca with pleading eyes.

  “Please, just let him stay near us tonight.”

  Luca studies me for a moment before finally relenting.

  We step into the party, and all eyes turn on us. Everyone is looking with mixed gazes. I make sure to keep Matteo in my sight. People also look at him. Some have gazes filled with hatred and disgust, while others are in shock.

  Luca spends the first half of the night speaking to everyone while keeping me at his side. He smiles and plays the role of the perfect host. If you are on the outside looking in, you won’t even know that he is a psycho. But I know him. And looking at him right now, I can tell something bad is going to happen. His whole demeanor and attitude is off. And not in the way that seems strange. The way that Luca gets before he is about to implement one of his plans. Or kill someone.

  I look around me, quickly scanning the room. That is when it hits me. Luca isn’t the type to just do something. He likes having a stage. He doesn’t like just announcing things. He likes everything falling into place, and you won’t realize anything until it is too late. He has intricate, calculated plans. And I have a bad feeling in my stomach.

  Luca also never lets me out of his sight. He will bring me with him to speak to people and won’t let me near Matteo. He keeps Romelo in between us. Whatever he has planned has something to do with Matteo.

  “Well, if it isn’t the big bad capo himself and his lovely wife.”

  I look up to see Nicolai walking toward us with a big smile on his face. For the first time tonight, Luca lets go of me to give Nicolai a hug. Nicolai looks at me and takes my hand, giving it a light kiss. He turns back to Luca.

  “Can I talk to you for a second?”

  Luca looks at me then to Romelo, who gives him a small nod. He leans down, giving me a light peck on the lips. He pulls back and stares into my eyes for a moment. He looks as though he is having an internal battle with himself.

  “I love you,” he says before pulling me into a tight embrace. He turns away with Nicolai, leaving me stunned.

  I turn to Matteo. “How are you feeling?” I ask, concern evident.

  He gives a small smile. “I’m good at the moment. Do you guys do stuff like this often?”

  “Not a lot. Since Luca’s capo, we rarely have the time to make it to anything, because he’s always busy …” I trail off as my eye catches some people in the North family. They are looking at Matteo in disgust. Some people are eyeing both of us. This is a party for the family. Luca has said to introduce the newest member. So everyone here is either blood or sworn into the North Mob. Which means majority of them knows it is my family that is behind their capo’s death. Which explains the glares.

  “Elise?” I feel a tap on my shoulder and look to see Matteo eyeing me with concern. I open my mouth but stop when I see random movements throughout the room. Romelo puts a hand over his ear.

  “Got it,” he murmurs. Before I can say anything else, he looks at me.

  “The capo needs to borrow your brother for a moment.” He grabs Matteo by the shoulder and walks through the crowd of people. Matteo looks at me with a confused expression, but we both don’t have time to do anything. As soon as I try to step, Nicolai appears in front of me. Hasn’t he just been with Luca?

  He has a big smile on his face.

  “So how have you been, Mrs. Pasquino?”

  I eye him in confusion. Something isn’t right. I try to step around him, but he moves in front of me.

  “Excuse me, but I need to get through,” I say, my voice sounding a little frantic. Panic is beginning to set into my bones deep. I step around Nicolai, only to feel him grab ahold of my arm firmly. I look back in shock and am frightened. There is sorrow deep in his eyes.

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Pasquino.”

  The mic turns on, and I look up in horror to see Luca’s smiling face onstage. I am all the way at the back of the room, and Luca is all the way at the front. His eyes scan the crowd and immediately land on me. His smile grows wider. I can see the excitement pouring off him. He has planned this. All this.

  “Good evening, everyone. I want to start by thanking you all for coming out here tonight. We all know whom this night is for, right?” There is a loud applause as Matteo is pushed onto the stage. His eyes are wide and filled with fear. Luca pulls him in closer to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

  “How many of you recognize this face?” He pauses as a majority of the guests shouts. Some in anger, some in excitement.

  “Yes, we all remember Eli Trovoli, correct?” The crowd erupts in a fit of boos, and Luca’s smile grows wide.

  “I know, I know. We all knew actually who he was and what he represented. We all know of the trials and scandals he has put us through.” He pauses as the crowd erupts in hate-filled comments.

  Even a man no less than ten feet away from me shouts, “Fuck the Trovoli family!”

  Wow, these people really hate us with a burning passion.

  I am frozen to the spot, my mind running a thousand miles a minute, trying to figure out what exactly Luca is doing.

  “This is the illegitimate son of Eli Trovoli.” Luca takes a step back as the spotlight shines on Matteo. I try to jerk out of Nicolai’s grasp, but he holds me firmly.

  “Now, we actually had an incident the other day with Matteo’s poor mother. She tried to kill me!”

  The crowd erupts in a fit of anger, with some people even yelling for Matteo’s death. I begin to struggle frantically to get to my brother. I am supposed to protect him.

  Luca holds his fingers over his lips. “Shhhhhh, now, calm down. We took care of it. That we did. But! Recent developments show that one person was behind this little plot to kill the capo of the North Mob!”

  Slowly the floor opens up, and up through the stage emerges Ari. She is strapped down and bloody.

  I gasp in horror. What the fuck!

  “I would like to introduce everyone to Arianna Gudierri, whose maiden name is actually Trovoli!”

  Boos immediately erupt from the crowd. Realization dawns on me as I take in the situation. I turn and immediately catch Nicolai off guard, pulling my body flushed against his. This puts him in shock long enough for me to bring my knee up hard. He collapses on the ground in agony, and I take off toward the stage.

  Luca walks to Matteo. “This woman is the cause of my father’s death, and she is a rat that loves to steal information for the benefit of the Trovoli family. She is the one that got his mother involved in tryin
g to kill me. She is the reason his mother needlessly died.”

  People are literally shouting in anger. These people are sick in the head. They are literally screaming for her death. And judging by the look in Luca’s eyes, he is going to give that to them.

  Understanding dawns on Matteo’s face.

  “Now, I promised my wife I would not swear her poor little brother into the family, but that doesn’t mean I won’t give him the chance to become a man. To gain his revenge. And that is why I invited all of you here tonight. To witness the night that Matteo Trovoli became a man and took his first kill.”

  The crowd erupts in excitement. Someone near me knocks me down, and I fall to the ground hard. But I don’t have time to waste. I scramble up from the floor and keep running toward the stage, trying my hardest to get in between people in the crowd.

  Luca is smiling from ear to ear, joy radiating off him at the situation. He is like a dark angel upon that stage with evil intent. To lead the world into suffering. My world, at least.

  Matteo has tears in his eyes and is looking at Ari with hatred. And Ari is looking at him in shock. Luca walks up to Matteo and pulls out a gun, handing it to him. Dear God.

  “Go ahead, Matteo. Take what’s yours. A life for a life. Prove your loyalty to us.”

  Matteo is walking toward Ari with all the hatred and rage in the world. He slowly raises the gun.

  “Any last words, Arianna?”

  She stops her struggles and looks at Luca with mirrored hatred.

  “I’m glad I killed your father. And I wish you were dead too. If his mother had been able to pull it off, we would have our revenge.” Her gaze meets Matteo’s, and it is filled with disgust. “She was nothing more than a burden to the family, just like you. She deserved to die. She was an outsider and a junkie. And you are nothing but a bastard child we accepted because you were supposed to be our liberation and lead us to greatness, and now you’re crying over some dumb whore’s death?” She laughed in disgust. “Maybe this life isn’t cut out for you after all.”