Page 46 of His Vicious Vow

All at once exhaustion hits me. I don’t want to think. Getting up I walk back the way I came. My gelato is melting. I find a trash can and throw it away even though I barely ate any.

The entire way back I refuse to let my mind wander. Opening up the outside door I take the stairs up slowly and carefully.

I keep walking into the bathroom. Opening the cupboard door, I go in and turn on the air conditioning in the bedroom. There are thin white large towels and two small hand towels. But no washcloths. What the hell? I’m relieved to find a lavender bar body soap and wow two toothbrushes and a small thing of toothpaste. I’m a little bummed there’s no shampoo and conditioner but it doesn’t stop me from getting my hair wet.

I’m under the waterfall showerhead for a long time simply letting it wash away the day. I wonder if Sandro knows yet. I hope he forgives me. I’m sure he’ll find someone else. Closing my eyes the tears fall. No. This is the right thing for both of us. It is.

I use the large hand towel to wash. It’s not like it matters what I use it for. I’ll be sure to wash everything before I leave. Thoughts are bubbling up again. Before they can, I turn off the water and get out of the shower.

Drying off, I frown at how rough the towel is. I wrap my hair in the large towel as I walk into the bedroom. Tossing my small suitcase onto the bed I open it and hope like hell I bought something to sleep in.

Oh good, there are two larger size sleeping shirts. I want to wash them but I don’t have the energy to stay up while they dry. Opening the plastic bag holding the panties, I wince at them not being washed before shrugging and pulling a white pair on. I’ll wash everything else.

Thirsty and deciding to check on the washing and drying machine situation I go back into the kitchen where the sheet of information is. Taking out the towel from my hair I dry it as I read through the sheet. Wait, there’s no dryer? Only a hanging clothes horse. That’s why everything felt so scratchy.

Annoyed, I scan the countertop at least the place was pretty well stocked. There’s a baguette, eggs, bananas, and a six pack of water in liter size on the counter. I open the fridge: another six pack of water in liter bottles, several cups of yogurt, some cheese and some olives. So apparently no drinking the water. I consider asking the internet if the water is safe then am honest, even if it was I wouldn’t drink it. I take one of the cold bottles and drink it as I make my way back to the bedroom.

I plug my phone into the adapter already plugged into the wall. This rental is better than I could have hoped for.

Except this bed. It’s so freaking hard. I sigh as I try to get comfortable. From the other side of the wall I hear a scraping noise. My heart stops for a minute, the other side of the wall is the extra room.

I’m wrong. It’s the sounds of the city still going on outside the windows. This place is more than five hundred years old. There are going to be noises I can’t explain.

I tell myself I’m in bed because of the jet lag. It isn’t. I simply don’t want to be awake, to think, to wonder who Sandro will marry now that I’m not there anymore.

CHAPTER 17

Sandro

During the nine-hour flight I came to several conclusions and a new plan. Milos was right—I hadn’t calmed her fears. Carina was only twenty-two freaking years old. Because of the way Carlo’s mother raised her she was far more knowledgeable of the world. But when it came to actual relationships she didn’t know shit. The few things she knew of men was that they were fuckers who only wanted sex and power.

And what she knew was right. Before I met her, I planned on using her for her beauty and her body and her knowledge of this mafia world. She would stand by my side as the dutiful wife of a powerful man who appeared legitimate while doing all kinds of dirty shit in the dark. As my wife she wouldn’t ask questions when I left our home in the middle of the night, or when I came home long after she went to bed, and she would accept my affairs. Yes, I would have affairs. Sex was important and I had a need for control, to be rough at times, none of those things would be acceptable to do to my wife. I would not offend her and those affairs, maybe even a mistress would be done with discretion.

I wasn’t prepared for the way it all blew up in my face when I met Carina. I excused myself for having all of three days and needing some time to come to terms with her. That was bullshit. Even if I hadn’t…fallen in love with her. I should have taken the time to settle her fears of entering our marriage. And because I hadn’t, she ran scared.

Her running is my fault. I don’t want her running. Yes, I could land pick her up and take her back to Vegas. And it would take weeks to get through the resentment for doing it. I want her to pick me and deep down I believe she will. So I’m going to give her the time she needs.

Decision made I call Valdez. “This isn’t going to be a snatch and grab. I want to give her some time. The men need to be okay with an open ended time frame.”

Valdez is quiet for a minute. “Not a problem at all. And Sandro?”

“Yeah?”

“As hard as waiting will be, the payoff will be even better.” He ends the call before I can reply.

I sure as fuck hope so.

When I land in Florence two men Valdez sent are waiting for me. They got the keys for both apartments, the one I rented and hers. I don’t even question how they managed to get the keys for her place.

They tell me she rented it for the minimum required two weeks. There are no other reservations she’s made so far. It’s a nice place in a good location both for tourists and safety I’m told by one of them who lives in the city. The other man has traveled from Rome.

The place is in on the first floor. In the city the ground floor is for businesses and the apartments are on the upper floors. There are only two apartments on the floor, mine is directly across from hers. The men will stay in the place I rented, a two-bedroom apartment and have already stocked it.

I go into Carina’s rental. The place is empty, it’s clearly been empty for months. There’s only some bottled water in the refrigerator and some pasta and a bottle of sauce in the cupboard. This is unacceptable.

There’s a grocery store only a block away. I buy too much, some of it doesn’t even make sense but once I see something she might like I can’t put it back down. Milos’s man mentioned she didn’t buy even the basics the way she should. So I buy some toiletries too. I want her to have everything she needs for her first night here.

Once I’m back in her place I put everything away then study where I want the cameras to go. They put one in the kitchen area where she comes into the apartment. There’s a full bath with a shower in the small hallway before a large living room with a flat screen television. There are two bedrooms, one with a large bathroom with a large shower attached.