Page 68 of Vow of Desire

Dante breathes heavy and glares at Matteo. I don’t move from my spot. All I want is to help but fear is wracking my entire body.

“Fine,” Dante finally answers. “I’ll hurt you.” He jabs his fist right into Matteo’s stomach, making my husband bend over with a groan.

“Matteo,” I gasp.

Dante laughs as he shoves Matteo to the ground and begins kicking him over and over and over again.

The sight of my husband taking the hits for me is powerful. I had doubted Matteo when we first wed. I thought he was a true monster. But now I see just how selfless he is. He’s the man I’m in love with.

Because the thought of losing him is too much. It has to be love.

“Stop it!” I sob. “Stop it!”

Dante doesn’t listen as he continues to hit and kick Matteo. A kick to the stomach. A kick to the face. A kick to the groin. Everywhere one can think. Matteo groans but he doesn’t put up a fight.

All for me. He’s taking these kicks all for me.

“Please,” I beg. “Please just leave him alone. Please.”

“Luciana,” Matteo groans. “Don’t. Stay out of this.”

“I could easily hurt you,” Dante says. “Do you want me to torture you like I’m torturing your husband?” He kicks Matteo in the stomach again. “Do you?”

“No,” I admit. “No, I don’t want you to hurt me. But… please, stop hurting him. Please.”

Dante suddenly stops and turns to me, crouching down until we’re at eye level. “What are you going to do to make me stop?”

“I’ll do anything.”

“Luciana, no,” Matteo cries out.

Dante smirks. I want to slap it right off him. “I’m tempted to take your body right before your husband. I think it would be fun. Fitting for how you lied to me.”

I force myself to look into Dante’s eyes. I’m not a little girl anymore. In this moment, I have to be strong. “Then do it. But stop hurting him. You’ll kill him.”

“Luciana,” Matteo groans. “Don’t.”

Dante leans in closer to me. I close my eyes, ready for him to hurt me.

But then his phone rings. I open my eyes when I feel him pull back. He answers the call. “Hello?” After a second, he cusses. “What do you mean our shipment has been stolen? Fuck. I’m on my way.” He hangs up and points at me and Matteo. “You two got lucky. I have work to attend to.” He nods at his men. “Put them in the box and keep them there until I return.”

He storms out of the room.

For just a second, I feel relief until one of his men picks me up and drags me over to the metal box.

“Please,” I sob. “Please.” He opens the box and shoves me inside. There’s no room to fully sit up. Instead, I have to lean forward, crunched over.

Matteo is shoved inside with me. Together, there’s no room between us. I’m practically in his lap. Matteo looks miserablefrom the bruises and blood on his face. I don’t even want to know what his body looks like.

The guard shuts the door, locking us inside. The metal box is hot. Too hot. I start sweating immediately.

I think I’m going to die in here. No. I know I am.

“Matteo,” I whisper.

“Yeah?”

“Are you ok?” I know it’s a stupid question to ask after everything I saw but I still have to ask it.