Page 3 of Vow of Hate

“I’ll be fine. I think. He doesn’t need to know. I’ll tell him that you and your mother left of your own accord. Time for a change. But do not tell him where you’re going. Just leave and don’t look back.”

“But then I’ll never see you again. We’ve been friends since we were kids. I… I can’t imagine my life without you.”

Tears well up in Luciana’s eyes but she holds them back. Trying to be strong… for me. “I know. I can’t imagine my life without you either. But you have to do this, Sienna. You have to go. Tell your mother what I told you. I would go sooner rather than later. I don’t know when Gabriel plans on making this marriage happen.”

A sob hits me as suddenly as a thunderstorm can happen. “Luci, I’ll miss you. I can’t imagine living my life somewhere else. I’m so scared.”

She pulls me into her arms and holds me tight. “I know. This is why I had to warn you. It’s breaking my heart but Sienna, you need to be safe. Being married to Dante will kill you. I just know it. You’re fragile and he’s insane. It won’t end well. Gabriel himself is insane for even thinking it. So please, tell your mom. Leave.”

I know Luciana would never lie to me. Everything she is saying is true and the desperation in her voice tells me I need to listen. Mafia men won’t stop coming by. The only way out is to leave this life behind.

But leaving the mafia is hard. There will be people tracking us. Hunting us down. Can I put myself and my mother through that kind of life forever? We have a lot of money from my dad but it’s only so much. Eventually, it will run out. Can this really be our future?

After Luciana leaves, I tell my mother everything.

She leans against the kitchen counter with a heavy sigh. “I was afraid this day would come. I can’t believe Gabriel. He was always kind to me and your father. The fact that he would do this to you, my own daughter, is despicable.”

“I have never met Dante but I know he’s crazy from what Luciana told me.”

“I know. You can’t marry a man like that. I won’t allow it.” With a firm nod, she stands up straighter. “Then we have to leave. Start packing tonight. We’ll need new IDs. New passports. New everything if we’re going to escape.”

“Can we really? Most people can’t leave the mafia world behind.”

“We have no choice. We have to leave within the next few days. We can’t risk it.” She grips my arms and looks me dead in the eye. “We have to be brave, Sienna. I need you to be brave for me just like I will be brave for you.”

“Ok,” I whisper, hating how weak my voice is. “I’ll try.”

“Don’t try. Now, start packing. I’ll handle everything else.”

The moment she lets me go, I waver on my feet. My entire life has changed in the matter of minutes. Ever since my dad died a month ago. He caused all of this to happen. All because of a heart attack from all the steak he would eat. Maybe if he had had a cleaner diet he wouldn’t have died so soon and I would be safe.

I walk upstairs, feeling like a zombie, as my world collapses around me.

Dante

It’s fun setting fire to things. Especially to drugs that just came in from a shipment. Bouts of cocaine just blown up. I laugh to myself as I drive away from the scene of the crime. Gabriel Romano will be out millions in a matter of seconds. It’s a good feeling, causing chaos. There’s no reason for me to do it other than I just enjoy it.

I can still feel the sensation in my feet from where I kicked Matteo Marani so hard, he almost died. But he didn’t die. That fucker and his wife got away. Saved by Gabriel Romano himself – head of the fucking mafia in Florence.

But I don’t want to stand for that. It’s time I rise up and take over. This city could use a new boss.

The sound of a muffled whimper makes me look into the backseat. The guard outside the warehouse where the drugs were is now in my backseat, bound and tied with a rag in his mouth. I could have easily killed him but I thought torture would be more fun.

Torture is always more fun.

But what’s no fun is showing up at my restaurant, ready to take the guard into the kitchen and torture him all night, and seeing Gabriel Romano himself standing by the front door. The ugly scar on his face doesn’t detract from his good looks. The fucker is handsome, I’ll give him that. My own looks have been praised many times from my dark, wavy hair to my strong jaw. I don’t need to be insecure around other men. I live my own life for myself.

Slowly, I get out of my car with my gun in my hand. My curiosity is winning out instead of my chaotic nature. I want to know why Gabriel is here.

“What?” I snap.

Gabriel raises his hands in surrender. It’s then I notice he has three other men with him. They all come circling around me. All with guns. It’s a pointed gesture. I’m out numbered right now. Fuck.

“I am here to offer you a deal,” Gabriel says.

“What deal?” I spit out.

“The kind where you marry a woman of my choosing for peace.”