Page 64 of Vow of Desire

“I’m starting to. I want to stop being worried all the time. I want to let go of all this pressure on my shoulders.”

“Then let it go. You can do that with me.”

“Tonight, when you saved me from Joan and Gregory, it opened my eyes. I saw how protective you are of me. I realized I don’t have to fear you as much. That I don’t have to fear my feelings as much.”

I press a kiss to her lips. “You don’t have to fear your feelings at all.”

“I really want that.”

“Then you can have it.”

Luciana kisses me deeply and for this moment, I forget about everything else.

Luciana

For the first time since I married him, waking up beside Matteo excites me. But when I open my eyes and see that it’s still dark out, I frown. Why would I wake up so early? I was exhausted from the party and having sex. I should still be asleep.

I glance at Matteo beside me who’s dead to the world.

It’s then that I hear something. A sound in the corner.

A man steps out of the shadows and into the moonlight shining in through the window. It’s then that I see who the man is.

Dante Zaneli.

I scream and that wakes Matteo right up. He jerks awake and takes one look at Dante before he dives for his gun on the bedside table. But he doesn’t get to grab it before Dante raises his own gun.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Dante warns. “I’m not sure you want me killing your pretty wife. Alexandra Ricci. Or should I said, Luciana Santori.”

“It’s Luciana Marani,” Matteo snaps. “We’re married. Show some respect.”

Dante huffs. “I was lied to. You lied to me,” he says, turning his eyes onto me. I’m rooted in place, unable to move. “You told me you were Alexandra Ricci when you showed up at my restaurant. I was intrigued. I could tell right away that you were a mafia girl. You could sense the danger you were in. I tried looking for you. Come to my surprise when I found out you had given me a false name. I killed the other Alexandra Ricci, thinking she was the fraud. But really, Luciana, you are.”

I bow my head as shame hits me hard in the chest. “I’m sorry. I was scared. I gave you a name without even thinking about it.”

“She has nothing to apologize for,” Matteo snaps. “You killed an innocent woman because you’re deranged. Get out of our house. Now.”

Dante waggles his gun at us. “I don’t think you’re in a position to be making demands right now. I don’t appreciate being scammed. I went looking for you, Luciana, and discover my surprise when I find out that you’re already married. Such a shame. You two are coming with me.”

“Me and my wife are going nowhere with you,” Matteo says in a clear, calm voice. Never have I been this grateful to him for being stoic at times.

“Fine. If you won’t come with me, I’ll kill you both in cold blood, right in this moment.” Dante’s face and tone show just how serious he is.

Matteo turns to me and cups my face. “I can’t risk you dying. We have no choice.”

“I know,” I whisper. In this moment, I only feel numb. Nothing has fully hit me yet.

Matteo slowly gets out of bed. He’s in nothing but his pajama bottoms. I’m grateful I put on a crop top and loungewear pants before I went to sleep. At least I’m not exposed but despite my clothes, I feel naked when Dante looks me up and down.

“Perfect,” he says darkly. “Let’s get going. Shall we?”

Chapter Sixteen

Luciana

Icling to Matteo as Dante walks behind us, his gun at our backs. My heart is pounding so fast it hurts. Never have I been this scared in my entire life. Not even when I had to marry Matteo.

“You’re going to be ok,” Matteo murmurs to me.