A Vow of Love and Vengeance

He folded his arms over his chest. Defensive. “What, now I’m not allowed to look at someone?”

There was a beat of silence where I gave him the opportunity to come clean, right before I clipped him around the back of the head.

“Ow!”

“Tell me what you know, Renzo Sergio Donato. Right now.”

“Oof, middle name and everything,” Tommy mumbled.

Renzo threw his head back on a groan. “Fuck, you’re annoying. I don’t know anything.”

I grabbed his nipple through his shirt and twisted, and he screamed like a little girl, leaping up from the table. “All right, Jesus fuck.”

Tommy snorted. “The Outfit enforcer, undone by a nipple cripple from his sister.”

I pointed at him. “You’re only getting out of it because you’re injured.”

He stared at me wide-eyed and covered his nipples with his hands.

I glared between them. “Both of you, tell me what is going on.”

Ren let out a sigh. “Gio will tell you when he gets back. He just doesn’t want to worry you—”

“Renzo!”

“Fine.” He huffed. “Wherever they’re keeping Luca was compromised. Someone tried to kill him.”

I felt every inch of heat drain from my body. Of all the things I expected him to say, that was not it. I assumed it was a Famiglia problem, not…not a me problem. “What?” I whispered.

Renzo grabbed my shoulder. “He’s fine, Emi. Jackson’s men caught the guy. He was Outfit.”

“Uncle Sergio tried to have Luca killed?”

“Yep.” He popped the P. “Maybe now he’ll see the damn light.”

My uncle tried to kill Luca, and that made no sense. My brother was so loyal to my uncle, never faltering or failing in any task my father or uncle had ever given him. Maybe he thought Luca would be tortured for information. Was it some fucked-up kind of mercy? Still, the fact that he would do that…

“Why wouldn’t Gio tell me that?”

“Don’t be mad at him, sweetheart,” Tommy said. “He just doesn’t want to worry you.”

“I’m not some fragile flower, Tommy,” I snapped a little too harshly before squeezing my eyes shut. “Sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Emi, it’s fine. Luca’s fine. Gio took some men to go get him and bring him back here himself. Doesn’t trust anyone else.”

He was bringing Luca here? I’d seen the way my brother had looked at me in that church, and it posed the question that had been circling my mind ever since Gio had agreed to marry me. If Luca didn’t agree to ally with the Famiglia in some fashion, would they kill him? Gio said he wouldn’t, but I’d looked Nero Verdi in the eye and known without a shadow of a doubt that man would end both Ren and Luca if it suited him. Gio was powerful, but he answered to Nero.

And now it seemed even if Gio kept his word and freed my brother, Sergio may want him dead anyway. No matter what I did, everyone was always in danger and trying to outrun fate was becoming increasingly more difficult.

Surely at this point, with Sergio still in hiding, a coup from within The Outfit was the only answer.

“Did you manage to contact the capos?” I asked Ren.

“None of them are taking my calls.” He let out an exasperated breath and dragged a hand through his hair.

I wanted Sergio dead for so many reasons, but his going after Luca was the icing on the cake.

“It’ll be fine, Ren.” I grabbed his hand, clasping his fingers in mine.

“You really think Luca will agree to this?” He shook his head on a short laugh. “He’d rather die than roll over for the Famiglia.”

I didn’t miss the edge in his voice, and I glanced at him, his hardened gaze colliding with mine. For the first time, I saw what following me had truly cost Ren.

I knew he despised my uncle and Matteo, perhaps even our father, but he was an Outfit enforcer, and the Famiglia was killing Outfit soldiers.

“Luca would rather die than roll over for the Famiglia, or you would, Ren?”

He opened his mouth to answer, but fell silent at the sound of the front door opening, then closing. Several sets of shoes clicked over the hardwoods, and I glanced at the kitchen doorway as several men strode past, a huge, seemingly unconscious figure being dragged between them.

The guy had a bag on his head, but it was the gold ring on his finger that caught my attention. A ring I would know anywhere because my father, uncle, and brothers all wore them. The Donato sigil. Luca.

Gio followed right behind them, his attention focused on the procession in front of him. They were gone in a blink, moving farther into the house.

I shot to my feet, ignoring Renzo and Tommy when they called after me. I made it into the hall just as Gio ducked through a doorway. Following him, I descended a set of stairs into a dingy-looking basement.