Page 37 of Sacred Vow

I stared at my reflection and imagined Romeo tearing the dress off me, and oblivious to Gia until she suddenly demanded, “Well?”

“Well, what?” I asked. I kept my eyes wide and innocent, but I knew exactly what she was asking me.

“Ugh! You’re impossible.” She stomped her Louis Vuitton-clad foot down on the plush rug which swallowed any sound she’d been attempting to make. We dissolved into laughter, after a grudging smile, Gia joined in.

“I need more champagne,” she decided “Be right back.”

Of course, she went straight to Leo, whose duties did not usually include fetching drinks. We listened in as she flirted with my bodyguard, who sounded not the slightest bit interested in being anything beyond professional and polite to her.

“Is she for real?” Elena commented. “Why can’t she just stick to the websites like a normal person?”

Neomi burst out laughing. “Since when is online dating the new norm?”

“Who said anything about dating?” Elena shot back.

Neomi thought that over. “Well, that’s true.” The room erupted again.

“What’s so funny?” Gia asked. Her arms wrapped around fresh champagne flutes and a bottle of bubbly. “Are you going to help me or what?”

“What,” I blurted.

Elena and Neomi keeled over with laughter.

“Seriously, how old are you?” Gia chided.

“That’s rich, coming from you,” I chided back.

And on it went as we drank and tried on clothing. The girls always reminded me what “carefree” felt like. The emotion was fleeting, especially for a mafia princess, or queen in this case although I still didn’t feel like one. I was still in the tower waiting to be rescued. Independence, saving myself, I realized was what that looked like, or so I assumed. How would I really know until I had it?

Although he hadn’t changed toward me, our time together had. I saw Romeo less and less, and despite our marriage, I didn’t feel like Romeo’s wife. More like something convenient. Mmm at least a mistress could expect to be wined and dined, this was more like a booty call with most of our time together sexual and always at his convenience. I would always wake up alone in the morning, which made me feel even more whorish. The only thing missing was money on my nightstand.

More than a month had passed and I didn’t know anything more about my enigmatic husband than the day I married him. I never made him breakfast, so I didn’t know what his favorite food was. His favorite color? I hadn’t a clue, but if I had to guess, I’d say black, as that was ninety percent of his wardrobe. Dark, like him and his moods. Our one unexpected date was the only time I’d seen him in a pair of jeans.

The constant issues, the late nights… I sighed, not meaning to be vocal, but loud enough for Neomi to hear me. She laced her fingers in mine and squeezed. “Are you okay, Vittoria?”

“Yes. Fine.” I painted on my façade. “Thank you for asking.”

I could tell she didn’t believe me, but she didn’t push for more information, thankfully, as I knew the unspoken rule in our world—Silence was survival.

We were done shopping and more than a little tipsy, as we paid for our purchases. Julius escorted me to the car. As I stepped in, I caught Leo typing on Gia’s phone. Maybe he liked her after all. I pretended not to notice when he joined us a moment later.

“Where to, Mrs. Vitale?” he asked without making eye contact.

“It’s Vittoria, Leo, please call me by my first name. Follow Gia, we’re going to the beach.”

Julius and Leo exchanged glances. “It’s not safe,” Julius rumbled. “Too public. We’ll have to call for backup.”

I slammed myself back into the seat to show my annoyance. “Fine, if you’re calling the house anyway, have Esmeralda pack me a beach bag, and your backup can bring it with them and meet us there.”

When we arrived, I chased everyone out of the car and had them face outward so I could change. This wasn’t a well-planned day at all. We weren’t even going to come to the beach until Gia suggested it as we walked outside into the gorgeous sunshine. Meh, why not be a little spontaneous once in a while? So what if my guards didn’t like it? I used to escape all the time, they should be happy I hadn’t pulled that on them yet.

Stepping out of the vehicle, I passed off my bag to Julius and strutted down the beach in a bikini that showed off everything. In fact, it was less a swimsuit and more an artful arrangement of string.

I was way more exposed than I’d been at the club, and I could see heads turning further down the beach. Some might even be taking photos. Knowing Romeo would react negatively if he saw pictures of his wife, covering up would have been prudent, too bad I wasn’t feeling like adulting today and thinking about my husband’s reaction.

I plunked myself down on the blankets beneath the umbrella Julius set up for me.

“Wow, V, you look stunning,” Gia said admiringly, then smirked. “Are you sure your husband would approve?”