Page 86 of Forgotten Vows

I move through the house like I'm on autopilot, my body remembering the years of violence that have shaped me into this. A guard appears in the doorway to my right, and I drop him with a single shot. Another comes from the kitchen, and Declan takes him out before I can turn. We move as a unit, covering each other, advancing through the house. Jack appears from the side entrance, his weapon raised, and together we clear the main floor room by room.

The house smells like mildew and decay, the walls stained with water damage and God knows what else. There's trash scattered across the floor, empty beer bottles and fast food containers, evidence of Gio's men camping out here while they waited for... what? For me to come? For Gio to decide what to do with Adriana and Matteo?

The thought makes my blood run cold, and I push it away, focusing on the immediate threat. "Kitchen," I say quietly, nodding toward the doorway ahead. I can hear voices inside, low and tense, and I know Gio is in there.

Declan moves to the left side of the doorway, and I take the right. Jack positions himself behind us, ready to provide cover. I meet Declan's eyes, and he nods once.

We go in fast.

The kitchen is a disaster—old cracked furniture and counters, windows boarded up, the floor littered with debris. And in the center of it all, Gio stands with a gun in his hand, two of his men flanking him. He's dressed like he's going to a business meeting, his suit immaculate despite the squalor around him, and when he sees me, he smiles.

"Gallagher." His voice is almost pleasant. "I was wondering when you'd show up. I see you didn't listen to my instructions. Shame. I wonder what order I should do this all in? I think I'll make you watch while my men fuck Adriana, one at a time, and then make her watch while I kill you. I'll make sure to shoot you somewhere that you're still bleeding out when I kill her."

Rage floods through me, but I don't answer. Just raise my weapon and aim it directly at his head.

His men move, reaching for their guns, but they're too slow. I fire twice, and they both go down. Gio doesn't flinch. He doesn't even look at the bodies of his men as they collapse to the floor. He just keeps that smile on his face, like this is all some kind of game.

"Where is she?" My voice is low and dangerous, and I can feel the rage building in my chest, threatening to consume me. "Where's my son?"

"Safe." Gio tilts his head. "For now. Matteo will stay that way, at least."

"Declan." I don't take my eyes off Gio. "Find them."

"On it." Declan moves toward the hallway, and I hear his footsteps receding and him calling out orders to Cormac through the earpiece.

Gio watches him go, and then his gaze returns to me. "You know, I almost admire you, Gallagher. Coming all this way, risking everything, just for a woman who doesn't even want you."

"Shut the fuck up."

"She told me, you know." He's still smiling, and I want to wipe that expression off his face with my fist. "Told me she's terrified of you. That you're just another monster, just like me. That she doesn't know who you are anymore."

The words feel like knives cutting in somewhere deep, but I don't let it show. I'm sure he's lying, but the fact that it's possible it could be true is just as painful. "She's wrong," I say quietly. "I'm nothing like you."

"Aren't you?" Gio takes a step closer, and I tighten my grip on the weapon. "You took her without asking, locked her in your penthouse, and told yourself it was for her own good. How exactly are you different from me?"

"I love her. Everything I've done, every choice I've made, has been to protect her."

"And yet here we are." Gio spreads his hands, gesturing to the rotting house around us. "She's more afraid than ever. Your son is traumatized. And you're standing here with a gun pointed at me, about to commit murder. Tell me, Gallagher—how is this protecting them?"

I don't have an answer for that. But it doesn't matter, because I'm not letting him take them back. I'm not letting him hurt them anymore.

"Lachlan." Declan's voice in my ear, urgent. "Found the kid. Second floor, back bedroom. He's okay. Bringing him down now."

Relief floods through me, so intense it's almost painful. Matteo's alive. He's okay. "And Adriana?" I ask, my voice tight.

"Haven't found her yet. Still searching."

My heart stops. "What do you mean you haven't found her?"

"She's not with the kid. We're checking the other rooms?—"

"He'll find her soon enough, I'm sure," Gio says, and his smile widens. "I thought she might appreciate some time alone to think about her choices."

The rage that's been building in my chest explodes, and I take a step forward, my finger tightening on the trigger. "If you hurt her?—"

"You'll what? Kill me?" Gio laughs, and the sound is cold and mocking. "You're planning to do that anyway, Gallagher. But we both know how this ends, and it isn't with me dead."

I keep my weapon trained on Gio, and we stand there in silence, the air thick with tension and the smell of blood. I can hear movement upstairs, hear Declan's voice as he talks to Matteo, trying to calm him down. I can hear Jack's footsteps as he searches.