Deadly Vows

by Haley Stuart

  “He told me that you were dead. That he killed you.” He brings his hands up and begins playing with my hair. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so lost in my life. I thought I’d really lost you.”

  I just listen to his voice, letting it soothe my crazed nerves.

  “Actually, I have felt like that before. When you called me. Right before that wreck. Hearing the terror in your voice, your screams, and the sound of the car crashing … that terrified me.”

  He sighs.

  “I’m a terrible person. I know that. I was made to kill your mother, right in front of you, and you don’t even remember it. Your father even wanted us to send you back to him bloodied and bruised so that he could stage a war. And I was the one that was chosen for the task. All I’ve wanted was to protect you. I’ve tried. But I also ended up hurting you. That’s just the kind of man I am.”

  He gives a deep chuckle.

  “But dammit if I won’t protect you with every breath in my body. You have nothing to fear, Elise. He won’t be coming back for you.”

  We sit in the tub until we both turn pruny. Luca takes care of me every step of the way. I don’t even have the energy to wonder why he is being so kind to me after his explosion in his office, and I don’t care. That nightmare is so realistic. And the fact that it has really happened at one point makes me realize something. Luca is the one that is going to protect me no matter what. He has kept me protected until the one time he has let me out of his sight. Now I see why he makes me stay with him all the time.

  I can feel myself drifting off to sleep, and I can feel Luca’s arms around me. Protecting me. My eyelids grow heavy, and I close them. I hear Luca give a muffled laugh.

  “I told myself I couldn’t raise Alexander’s child, but if taking it away means hurting you even more, I don’t think I can do it,” Luca whispers. His voice sounds as if he is in disbelief.

  I open my mouth.

  “This isn’t Alexander’s child, Luca. The baby is yours.”

  I don’t have the energy to listen to his response as sleep overtakes me in the comfort of his arms.

  Chapter 48

  Luca

  My life has ended the day I’ve met Elise. By pulling that trigger, I’ve changed hers. By marrying her, I’ve changed mine. I stare at her sleeping form. She looks so peaceful in her sleep. Like nothing can bother her. She has said that the baby is mine. I want to believe her more than anything, but I just can’t. How is it possible that in the time she has been with Alexander, she hasn’t gotten pregnant? That will mean she has been pregnant before her abduction.

  I quietly leave the room, heading to my office to get things done.

  Once I enter the kitchen, I see Matteo. He takes one look at me and tries to leave.

  “Matteo.”

  He pauses and looks at me warily. There is a light-blue cast around his arm where Alexander has snapped his wrist.

  “Elise is back.”

  His eyes grow wide in surprise.

  “What? When? I have to go see her!” He takes off out of the kitchen, but I grab him before he can.

  “No!”

  He looks at me like I am crazy. “No?”

  “You can’t see her yet. She can’t know what you’ve been doing with me the past few months. And you can’t continue this anymore.”

  His face slowly morphs into one of anger. “Why?”

  “I made a promise to her that I wouldn’t swear you in—”

  “But I’m not sworn in!”

  “But you are behaving like someone who is. She doesn’t want you involved in this at all.”

  He looks at me for a moment.

  “I’m not forbidding you from speaking to your sister, but our endeavors these past months are not to be told to her, do you understand? As of today, you are no longer involved.”

  His gaze goes from surprised to angry in an instant. He jerks away from me and storms out of the kitchen.

  I shake my head in disbelief. If it weren’t for Elise, I would have broken his arm for jerking away from me like that. But there is Elise. And with her, there always seems to be some kind of exception.

  I walk into my office and take a seat, just enjoying the temporary peace. Elise is home. And she is safe. I have her back, and she isn’t going anywhere without me. I have Alexander in captivity. I am rid of that crazy, backstabbing bitch Ari and her weak-willed husband, and the entire South is in my control. All that is left is to ask Elise about what has happened that has led to her kidnapping.

  Speak of the devil.

  Elise steps timidly into my office. She looks at me through that thick curtain of hair that she loves to hide behind. I’ve always known Elise is beautiful. I’ve always acknowledged that fact. The way she walks so timidly as she approaches me is so sensual. She is sex walking and doesn’t even know it. Her tongue peeks out as she wets her lips nervously, and I follow the movement with my eyes. Three months since I have seen her. Kissed her.

  “Good morning,” she whispers, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  Looking at the bruises that mar her skin makes me boil with anger. The fact that Alexander has the nerve to touch what is mine outright makes me angry, and I am counting the days until I am going to visit him. I give her a reassuring smile.

  “Good morning, Elise. Did you sleep well?”

  She nods timidly.

  “Yes, thank you.” She takes a look around my office, and her eyes land on the corner, where her violin is. She stares at it.

  I clear my throat to get her attention.

  “I put it there. It kept me comfort while you were away.”

  She nods before taking a seat in front of me. She keeps looking around, avoiding eye contact with me. Which, for Elise, means either she is about to lie to me about something or she is nervous.

  “Where is Matteo?” she asks.

  “He’s around here somewhere. I assumed he went to go find you,” I say. And I am really shocked to hear that he hasn’t gone to find her. She shakes her head.

  “D-does he know … about …”

  “No. I haven’t told him. I felt it better that you tell him since he’s your brother.”

  She looks at me in shock. I give her a small smile. I walk around the desk until I am standing in front of her. I pull her wedding ring out of my pocket, and a small gasp escapes her lips.

  “I managed to save it,” I say, pushing it back into its rightful place on her finger.

  She gives a small smile as she stares at it. I don’t think I have ever seen her pleased to wear that ring. Something is different.

  “I need to find out as much as I can about your abduction, Elise. Can you remember anything that might be helpful?”

  She immediately looks down again and begins messing with her hands.

  “Elise.”

  She looks at me with wide eyes.

  “Don’t lie to me,” I say, letting her know I am serious.

  Her eyes widen slightly.

  “After the wreck, I woke up in a room. A man came in. He said his name was Agent Jeffries. He was asking me to give a statement so that he could have a reason to put you away. When I refused, he said there was nothing he could do for me, and then I was transported to that auction house …”

  She continues to speak, but I can’t hear her anymore. Agent-fucking-Jeffries. That bastard has been trying to take me and my father down for years. I can feel my blood rushing through my body as I get more and more furious. That bastard has put my wife in a fucking auction house and caused all this because she won’t fucking snitch. Because of him, she is possibly pregnant by someone else.

  I immediately stand from my seat, and she gasps, fear filling her eyes.

  “I need to make a call,” I say.

  She nods and immediately scurries out of the room. I pull out my phone, immediately calling Romelo. He answers on the first ring.

  “Yes?”

  “We have an issue.”

  Plans are made. Big plans. If I pull this off, I wil
l be untouchable in the underworld. If I fuck this up in any form or fashion, then I will be screwed. I will be worse than screwed. Killing a federal agent is the hardest thing to do. They have the brains, security, technology, and connections. If I don’t do everything perfectly, then they will find me and they will lock me away forever until it is my turn to have the death penalty. But he has crossed me for the last time. There is a place in this world for the good guys. The ones that want to bring down the villains and make a difference. But my life isn’t one of them.

  He is a fool to ever think he can pull this off without consequence. Without me finding out and finding him. I guess he thinks my wife will be buried in the world and never to be found. But she has, which means bad news for him.

  Right now, though, I have the bastard behind it all to make suffer.

  I turn out the light in my office, walking toward the door. I haven’t seen Elise since she has left my office today. A part of me feels bad for shutting her out like that, but another part of me doesn’t. I know that is fucked up, but that is just me. I grab my keys and head for the garage.

  “Where are you going?”

  I stop and turn around to see Elise watching me with those innocent eyes. I haven’t even heard her behind me. She walks so featherlight.

  “Out,” I say, not wanting to tell her where I am really going.

  “Can I come with you?” she asks.

  I open my mouth to tell her no, but then I remember something important. She hates being alone. Damn, I am an asshole for forgetting something that important. I can’t just leave her like I used to. She needs my presence to feel safe. I let out a deep sigh.

  “Uh, Elise, I don’t think you want to go where I’m going.”

  “Where are you going?” she asks.

  Normally, I would have already punished her for questioning me so much, but with everything she has been through at the hands of another, the fear that wracks her voice makes me unable to do such a thing.

  “To take care of business.”

  “Please, can I go with you?” she says. Her voice is almost a whisper.

  “I can have Romelo or Nicolai stay with you if you’re that scared, Elise.”

  She shakes her head violently. “No. I want to be with you.”

  “Elise, I’m going to do something that I don’t think you can stomach right now. Especially in your condition,” I say.

  She finally looks up.

  “Luca, I don’t care. I just want to be with you.”

  That is all it takes for my resolve to come crashing down. I let out a defeated sigh.

  “Okay.”

  Maybe I am dumb for letting her come along, but the smile that lights up her face is enough to make my heart flutter.

  I decide to take the Mercedes since it is a bigger vehicle. The ride to the catacombs is silent. Elise is looking out the window, watching the setting sun.

  “How are you feeling?” I ask.

  She continues to look out the window when she answers me, “Fine.”

  I frown, not liking her short response.

  “Did you eat today? You need to take in as much nutrition as you can. You need the strength.”

  She still doesn’t look away from the window. A small laugh escapes her lips. “I ate. The doctor gave me some prenatal to take to help with development.”

  I nod even though she isn’t watching me.

  “I’m going to the catacombs,” I say, hoping that she’ll change her mind. She doesn’t. “To see Alexander.”

  This catches her attention, and she finally looks at me.

  “He’s alive …?” Her eyes widen, and true terror fills her depths.

  I nod slowly.

  She reaches up, grabbing her hair as tears fill her eyes. I reach over with one hand, grabbing hers and slowly bringing it to my lips.

  “Shhh. Elise, I won’t let anything happen to you. We’re going to get rid of him, okay?”

  She looks at me, sniffling, and nods. I am going to kill that bastard, slowly and painfully, once I get there, for making my wife feel this way.

  We finally reach the catacombs, and Romelo is there to meet me at the entrance. He nods to me, and his eyes widen slightly when he spots Elise. He looks at me in confusion.

  “Enjoyed your date?” I ask him.

  He gives me a coy smile. “Yes, I did.”

  I roll my eyes.

  “I see you decided to choose happiness,” he says as he eyes Elise walking toward us. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to bring her here, though?”

  I look at him.

  “I’m not sure, quite honestly, but she can’t be alone right now.”

  He nods in understanding, and we all walk into the hellhole called the catacombs.

  The catacombs are where I keep people that are going to die. It is like death row for my enemies. Except it is a slow and painful death. We walk through the hallways, hearing screams of agony and torture. I can feel my adrenaline spiking as excitement courses through my veins. I sneak a peek at Elise, and she looks as though she is about to vomit. Her eyes are wide.

  We step into the room with one-way glass. The lights are dimmed. I pull out a chair for Elise to sit in. She is not looking at me. She is beginning to hyperventilate as she looks beyond the glass at Alexander.

  “Elise. Elise, look at me.” She looks at me in a panic.

  I seat her slowly in the chair and begin breathing slowly with her, showing her how she needs to slow her breathing.

  “It’s okay, baby, it’s okay. Just breathe, okay?” I try to reassure her. There are large tears falling down her face, and I use my thumbs to wipe them. “You have to be strong, Elise. Be strong for the baby.”

  This seems to catch her attention, and she frantically nods at me, trying to catch her breathing.

  “Good. Good,” I murmur to her.

  “I’m going to make him pay. You’ll be able to see and hear everything. If you don’t want to, just ask Romelo and he’ll turn off the audio and visual, okay?”

  She nods to me again. I give her a reassuring smile and kiss her on the forehead before stepping into the room. Alexander looks up upon my arrival, a cocky smile spreading itself across his face.

  “I was wondering when you were coming to carry out my death sentence.” His arms are latched above his head, his naked body at its full height. He is secured and at my mercy.

  I don’t speak as I head over to my table filled with tools. The hairs on my arms are beginning to stand as I get chills. This is always my favorite part. I run my fingers over each of the tools, deciding how I should begin this.

  How do I begin my torture? How do I envision my masterpiece?

  A smile automatically plasters itself on my face. I settle for the prune cutters. I walk toward him with slow ease. He watches me with steady eyes, already accepting his fate.

  “You know what I think?” I bring the prune cutter up to his fingers. “I think you sealed your fate the moment you bid on …” I place his finger in between the blades.

  “Buying.”

  Snip.

  “My.”

  Snip.

  “Wife.”

  Snip.

  Three fingers now lie on the ground at my feet. He is doing a good job of keeping silent. He is biting his jaw in pain. I grab the blowtorch from the table, burning the ends of his fingers to staunch the bleeding. Now I get a groan from him.

  “Wouldn’t want you bleeding out, would we?” I say. This is going to be fun.

  Ten fingers. One eye. Six teeth. Twenty-seven slashes. A shattered knee. Broken arm. Open cuts. And I am not even halfway through.

  Alexander is breathing hard. I walk toward him.

  “Tell me, was it worth it?” I ask, genuinely curious.

  Alexander looks at me with one eye, and small laughs escape his lips.

  “You … know … what’s … worth all this …? I got to fuck … your wife. I got to beat her … and bruise her. Tell me, can she sleep at night? I have engrained mys
elf … permanently … in her brain. Why don’t you try feeding her an apple? See how she responds to that.”

  He lets out another laugh and takes a deep breath, trying to bear with the pain.

  “Why don’t you … show her the book … Pride and Prejudice … and see how she screams? And best of all, she’s fucking pregnant. With my child. So you’re going to have to decide to get rid of it and make her hate you or keep it and hate her for it.” He tries to muster a smile.

  The door to the room opens, and in walks Elise. I stare at her in shock. Alexander takes in her pregnant form and laughs.

  “I guess the big and bad capo … will be raising someone else’s child.” He laughs like a crazed man.

  But I am not listening. I am watching Elise in confusion. She grabs the large garden shears off the table and walks toward us. Alexander is still shouting at me about raising his child, but I can’t help but stare at Elise. Her expression is blank. No emotion. Nothing. She stands in front of Alexander.

  “I was pregnant the moment I was auctioned off. This child is Luca’s. Not yours.”

  Alexander doesn’t even get the chance to respond. She places the garden shears over his penis and, in one swift movement, pushes the blades close, severing the organ.

  Alexander’s cries of agony echo off the walls as his manhood is cut from him. Blood is everywhere, new blood from the wound. I stare at Elise in horror. She is still watching him. Her head is tilted slightly to the side, and I swear I can see the ghost of a smile cross her lips as she watches the bastard writhe in pain.

  What. The. Fuck.

  * * * * *

  The sun is out. Elise is sitting at the edge of the pool with her feet dipped, Matteo in the water in front of her with a smile on his face. They are chatting about God knows what. I study Elise very closely. She has changed drastically. I’ve overlooked it completely when I’ve rescued her. But she has. She is stronger now. I can’t get the image of her smiling face as she watches Alexander bleed out of my head. It is disturbing.

  I have always known her to be innocent. But watching her that night … she is anything but. This is the same woman that has vomited on my floor when we’ve played Russian roulette. But as she has watched Alexander, she hasn’t batted an eyelash. She’s stayed glued to my side, her nightmares coming and going. Some nights are worse than others. The other night, she has actually hit me in the face with her writhing.