Page 119 of Vows of Blood

Finding the slim gold band that sits snugly behind her engagement ring, I spin it around and around, loving the sight of it there. What it means.

"Without hesitating. I mean, you barely blinked."

It hardly comes as a shock to her that this isn’t my first time ending a man’s life, but seeing it up close and personal is a different matter, I guess.

"Yes.” I run my hand over her legs, her presence, and the knowledge that my father can’t fuck with her or me anymore gives me a sense of calm I haven’t had in a decade. “Does that change how you see me?"

She looks up at me, searching mine for something I hope she finds.

"I really thought I'd feel different," she admits. "Watching someone die like that." She trails off, shaking her head. "But no, it doesn’t change how I feel about you. All I felt was relief. And safe, at last. Is that terrible?"

A knot loosens in my gut. I hadn't realized how tightly I'd been holding myself, waiting for her to recoil, to look at me differently, or to realize she'd bound herself to a killer.

"No." I lift her hand to my lips. "It's human."

The flight attendant appears with champagne and a tray of food that Sienna picks at without much enthusiasm, clueless about the devastation we’ve just left behind. I don't push and give her the time to think. She needs time to process, and I'm content to sit beside my bride, her legs warm across my lap, watching the clouds drift past the window.

As the landscape outside changes, she shifts closer, tucking herself against my side.

"Where are we going?" she asks, stifling a yawn. "You never actually told me."

"That would defeat the purpose of a surprise."

"Luca,” she moans.

"A private island." I press a kiss to her pillowy lips. "Just us for seven days, maybe longer, if I can swing it. Sun, sea, and sand."

Corso knows what I expect to happen while I’m gone, and my brother’s, well, they’ll keep everything else running smoothly.

"That sounds..." She sighs, her body growing heavy against mine. "Perfect."

"Get some rest." I adjust her so she's lying with her head in my lap, pulling a cashmere blanket over her. "I'll wake you when we land."

She's asleep within minutes, her breathing evening out, and the tension finally drains from her body. I stroke her hair, thinking about everything that's waiting for us back home, but for now, there's only this.

My wife, officially mine at last, is asleep in my lap. And whatever comes next, we'll face it together.

I pull the sonogram from my pocket and stare at it again. The family we almost had. And soon, hopefully, like the one we will have, and that my father can never touch.

38

LUCA

Four days into our honeymoon, and I’m surprised to say that doing nothing all day is starting to grow on me.

No meetings. No places to be or decisions to make. Just the sound of the ocean, the gentle swaying of palm trees in the breeze, and Sienna's laughter drifting up from the pool below.

The private villa sits on a cliff at the southern tip of the island, surrounded by nothing but sea and sky. There's a housekeeper who comes in the morning and leaves by noon, a stocked fridge and a chef on call, plus a security detail stationed at the perimeter that Sienna doesn't know about and doesn't need to. As far as she's concerned, we're alone, and I intend to keep it that way.

I'm on the terrace when my phone buzzes. Corso promised only to call if the situation demands it. His name on the screen tells me it does. And there’s only one thing I can think of that he’d disturb me over.

"Talk to me."

Corso comes through, steady as always. Nothing rattles the man, which is exactly why I trust him with my life, and more importantly, with Sienna’s.

"We have him. Nico picked him up two nights ago trying to cross into Canada with a bag full of cash and a new passport. Not a very good one."

I lean against the railing, looking out at the water, and feel nothing. No spike of anger and no surge of satisfaction. This was only ever going to end one way, with me victorious. He should have known that. And he deserves what he gets for being stupid enough not to.