Page 44 of Vows of Blood

Of course, they won’t.

Too tired to argue about the wisdom of sharing a house with my ex, I slump down in the seat.

“Thank you,” I whisper, and Tony nods, meeting my eye in the rearview mirror.

He’s a man of few words, so instead of attempting to make polite but awkward conversation, I turn my head and say nothing as we pull away.

As we drive further and further north, the buildings grow sparser until we turn onto a private road lined on either side by massive trees. Finally, an imposing set of black, iron gates appears ahead, flanked by broad pillars and multiple security cameras.

Tony slows as they swing open. They’re expecting us.

The driveway is long and lined with beautiful, tall trees, reaching up elegantly to the sky.

Then the house comes into view, and I curse quietly and sit back in shock, not sure I’m fully prepared for this. What rises before me is not a house, it's an estate. A sprawling stone mansion with manicured lawns rolling out in every direction, and a fleet of expensive cars parked out front.

Tony pulls up to the front entrance and cuts the engine.

And there he is.

Luca stands on the front steps, arms crossed over his chest. There's no warmth in his expression. No welcome. Just the cold certainty of a man who always gets what he wants.

I climb out of the car, refusing to fidget with my hair or smooth down my outfit, and walk toward him, meeting his flinty gaze.

Behind me, the car door closes, and Tony mutters a curse as Vito hisses at him through the wire door.

Luca’s eyes flick to the side, then flash back to me in dumbfounded anger.

“What… the fuck… is that?”

13

LUCA

"You brought the fucking cat."

Sienna stares at me, delicate chin tilted up in defiance, making the shadows under her eyes more pronounced. She clutches the carrier in front of her like a shield, and inside it, that damn cat, orange and furious, tries to poke its claw through the wire door to get at me.

"His name is Vito. And I wasn't leaving him behind." The way she says it, like she's daring me to argue, makes it clear this isn't a negotiation. Wherever she goes, the cat goes.

I glare at Tony. This is his fucking fault.

“Fine.”

Deciding to pick my battles, I step aside and gesture for her to enter, and she walks past me without another word.

Tony follows with her single backpack, giving me a wide berth, more than aware he’s going to hear about this later.

"This way." I don't wait for her, just head for the stairs, listening to her footsteps on the marble behind me.

She doesn’t comment on the house, but I catch her reflection in the gilt mirror on the landing, lips parted, taking it all in.

"Your room." I push open the door to the largest of the guest suites. "Across the hall from mine." I point at the door opposite, making it clear that she’s in my home, under my watch.

Sienna steps inside and stops, just standing there, looking at the king-sized bed, the picture window overlooking the elegant east garden, and the luxurious en suite with a roll-top bath visible through the open door.

"I trust you’ll find it acceptable," I say, being a dick when I don’t really need to be.

"I’ll manage," she quips, trailing her fingers along the antique sideboard as she drifts further inside, examining each painting and trinket like she’s at a museum. She stops at the window, her back to me, arms wrapping around her midriff.